Western Sydney Wanderers star Shinji Ono with celebrity chef Raita Noda.Picture: Richard Dobson. Source: The Daily Telegraph
THIS is the secret spot Shinji Ono finds solace when the pressures of being one of Asian football's superstars becomes overbearing.
The Western Sydney Wanderers marquee signing concedes that life in Sydney is difficult without his wife and two young children - aged seven and five - who remain in Japan given their delicate ages and closeness to friends and family.
So each week, Ono travels from Homebush to the middle of Sydney FC territory on the city's stunning waterfront where his new friend, celebrity chef Raita Noda, treats him to an array of Japanese dishes at his Ocean Room restaurant.
Noda and his family - who have only come to know Ono in the past three months - have become his Sydney clan, providing homely and familiar comfort around the table.
"If I have frustration, I come here, it makes me feel fresh," Ono told the Daily Telegraph. "I meet this family every week, and I get power, energy. That energy, I give to the game, to the Wanderers."
A friend of Ono's introduced him to Noda's mother in Japan. When Ono decided to make the move from Shimizu S-Pulse to the A-League's newest franchise, Noda's mother was quickly on the phone to her son.
"She said 'Shinji is coming to Sydney, he doesn't know anyone in Sydney, please look after him'," Noda said.
"I said 'I've read he's coming in the paper, is it actually true?' She said 'yes' and I thought wow, that's great.
"Just before he played his first game we had dinner together, and since that time, the last 2 1/2 months, it's been a good relationship. We try to treat him as one single man in Australia and try to support him in whatever he asks.
"He definitely has lots of stress, lots of struggle.
"As his family, we want to support him."
Ono, 33, may be one of the biggest names and most recognisable faces in Asia, but he shies away from a high-profile existence.
"I've seen so many famous people, but he's totally different to me," Noda said.
"He has a very quiet approach to people, he is amazingly gentle, and always trying to look after everyone.
"All of my family were fans of Shinji Ono the soccer player before. Now we are fans of Shinji Ono the man.
"He is a great person, a great man."
Capped 56 times for Japan, Ono has taken time to find his feet in the A-League but last week declared that scoring his first goal would help him turn the corner.
In Nostradamus fashion, Ono then struck his first goal for the Wanderers against Brisbane Roar from the penalty spot, and is confident he will hit new heights.
Ono, who tried his hand at rolling sushi in Noda's kitchen this week, is the Wanderers' greatest chance of slicing through Sydney FC in tomorrow night's derby at Allianz Stadium.
"I play to win, against every team," Ono said.
No comments:
Post a Comment