Yuji Ono (footballer)

Yuji Ono (小野裕二, Ono Yūji, born December 22, 1992) is a Japanese footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for J1 League club Albirex Niigata.

Club career

Born in Yokosuka, next to a satellite city of Yokohama. Ono joined Yokohama F. Marinos youth academy at age 13. He was a member of the Yokohama F. Marinos youth team that won the Prince Takamado Cup in 2009 beating Júbilo Iwata. Ono made his competitive debut in a J1 League match against Sanfrecce Hiroshima at Hiroshima Big Arch on July 18, 2010, as a 62nd-minute substitute for Shingo Hyodo. At 17 years and 208 days, he was club's youngest-ever league debutante, a record previously held by Kota Mizunuma (17 years and 247 days). Two months later, on September 5, 2009, Ono scored his first goal in a 3–1 victory against V-Varen Nagasaki in the Emperor's Cup. In January 2011, he signed a new long term contract with Marinos.

On July 20, 2015, Ono signed a contract with Sint-Truiden.

International career

In February 2011, Ono was called up to the Japan national under-23 football team, or the "U-22 team". He earned his first cap for the Japan U-22's against Bahrain U-22's on February 12, 2011.