Takehiro Tomiyasu

Avispa Fukuoka

Born in Fukuoka, Japan, Tomiyasu enrolled at Sanchiku Elementary School, and during the second half of his first grade, he joined the school’s football club, Sanchiku Kickers, where he initially played as a defensive midfielder. He was scouted by the club’s general manager, Kanji Tsuji, who was impressed by his performance, particularly his speed, and encouraged his parents to support his football development. In 2009, when he was eleven years old and in the fifth grade, Tomiyasu began attending the newly established FC Barcelona Academy in Fukuoka, training there twice a week. At the academy, he played as a defensive midfielder. Although there were discussions about the possibility of joining FC Barcelona’s youth setup in Spain, the move did not materialize. After graduating from elementary school at the age of 12, Tomiyasu passed the selection trial and joined the local club Avispa Fukuoka’s junior youth team. By the age of 14, he was playing for their U-15 side and was also selected for the Japan national youth team. Initially playing in the midfield position, he switched to centre back. During his time at Avispa Fukuoka's youth system, Tomiyasu had a period as the club captain. He impressed at the 2013's JFA Premier Cup, and was named in the Best Eleven as a result. In May 2015, it was announced that Avispa Fukuoka had registered Tomiyasu. He made his debut for the club on 14 October 2015 as a starter in a 2–0 loss against Machida Zelvia in the…

Youth

Having previously played for Japan U14 and Japan U15, Tomiyasu was called up to the Japan U16 for the first time in March 2013 ahead of the Montaigu Tournament. He participated in the tournament, as the U16 side finished seventh place. In August 2014, Tomiyasu was called for Japan U16 ahead of the AFC U-16 Championship in Thailand. He made two appearances in the tournament, as Japan U16 were eliminated in the quarter–finals. In July 2014, Tomiyasu was called up to the Japan U17 for the first time. He participated in a number of matches for the side throughout 2015. In June 2015, Tomiyasu was called up to the Japan U18 squad for the Panda Cup. He played two times in the tournament, as the U18 side won the trophy, finishing first place. In March 2016, Tomiyasu was called up to the Japan U-19 squad for the first time. Six months later, he was called up for the second time by the Japan U19 squad ahead of the AFC U-19 Championship in Bahrain. Tomiyasu played his first match of the tournament, where he helped the U19 side win 3–0 against Yemen U19. Tomiyasu scored his first goal of the tournament, in a 3–0 win against Qatar U19 on 20 October 2016. He helped the Japan U19 reached the final after beating Vietnam in the semi–final. Tomiyasu started in the final against Saudi Arabia U19 and played 120 minutes; which resulting Japan U19 won 5–3 on penalties. During the AFC U-19 Championship tournament, he helped the Japan U19 side keep all six clean sheets. In May 2017,…

Playing at either centre back or right back, Tomiyasu is known for being physical, as well as his strong defending structure. He's also known for his versatility, capably filling in at left back due to his two-footedness. His performance at Sint-Truiden was so impressive that Voetbal Nieuws named him "The Best Eleven of Foreign Players Who Have Left from the Jupiler League". Former teammate Pol García praised Tomiyasu for his attitude, while former Italy international defender Cristian Zaccardo praised his strong and energetic performances. Bologna's technical coach Emilio De Leo said about Tomiyasu's performances, saying: "He has the ability to read and manipulate time and space in a modern way." The club manager Marco Di Vaio agreed, saying: "Tomiyasu immediately impressed us because he is very good with his feet and knows how to adapt to all defense roles." National Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport praised Tomiyasu's performance, saying: "He is a treasure. The key to reinforcing Bologna". Manuel Minguzzi, a reporter for Tuttobologna, said about his performance: "Fans can always expect maximum professionalism and commitment from Tomiyasu. As a full back he did very well, while as a central he made some mistakes, but in Serie A it is quite normal because adaptation is needed. Tomiyasu also possesses great qualities when building the game. I was very struck by the fact that in the first year of Serie A he immediately became the protagonist. He had been taken as a…

Tomiyasu has two sisters. He was planning to follow in his sisters' footsteps by becoming a professional swimmer before switching to football instead, stating that he wanted to be a footballer. In his first press conference in Bologna, Tomiyasu said he began to learn Italian and asked the media to call him Tomi. By February 2020, Italian media Corriere Di Bologna reported that Tomiyasu already spoke Italian. In addition to Italian and his native Japanese, Tomiyasu also speaks English, having sharpened his English skills during his spell in Sint-Truiden. Tomiyasu revealed that growing up, he idolised Javier Mascherano. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, Tomiyasu spoke out about his life during the pandemic and while the season was suspended, he exercised daily. On 12 May 2020, his former club, Avispa Fukuoka expressed their gratitude to Tomiyasu after he donated 1,000 masks to the club's academy. The following month, Bologna revealed that Tomiyasu were among the players and staff members agreed to give up a month's salary. On 27 December 2021, he tested positive for COVID-19 amid the pandemic in the United Kingdom. Tomiyasu also wears contact lenses on the pitch.