The Leeds United midfielder was visibly emotional on the pitch during the difficult spell.
Ao Tanaka admits he acutely felt the tension of Leeds United’s ‘heaven or hell’ Championship promotion run-in last season.
Tanaka was thrown in at the deep end following his roughly £3million move from Fortuna Dusseldorf last season, becoming a central cog in Daniel Farke’s promotion-chasing Leeds side. The Japan international experienced plenty of highs but, alongside his teammates, was also forced to endure a run of one win in six through spring that threatened to derail hope of a Premier League return.
A nail-biting 1-0 win at Middlesbrough ended that difficult run and Tanaka was visibly overcome with emotion after full-time, sinking to the turf while Farke revealed he was in tears in the dressing room. Leeds went on to win the five games that followed and racked up 100 points on their way to the title, but it was far from smooth sailing for the midfielder.
“The last two months were really tough,” Tanaka told GOAL Japan. “Every week, I played while thinking that I didn't want to play. If I played, there was a chance that we would lose points. I was so nervous that I thought, ‘I'll do anything, just give me three points.’
“It's not like a championship race, it's more like ‘heaven or hell.’ Finishing third and not getting promoted is the same as finishing 18th. And if we get promoted, we'll go to the Premier League, the dream stage of the world. That's how important it is for the team to get there. Coming here really made me realise just how big a club Leeds is, which is why I wanted to get promoted.
“I didn't really understand it before I came here. Not even the history or the atmosphere of the stadium. But once I got here, I really realised that this is a club that has to be in the Premier League. It's not often you get to play football at a club with such a history. It was my first time playing football at such a club, so I felt a sense of mission and responsibility.
“So, even if we came in second or third, it would be a completely different story, and I don't want to experience that tension again, and I don't think I'll ever experience it again.”
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The transfer tension enveloping Leeds United’s promotion push
The tension at Leeds was particularly high given what the recent summer would have looked like, had promotion not been achieved. Only 12 months prior, the Whites were made to wave goodbye to Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter with the trio moving up to the Premier League following the play-off final defeat to Southampton.
Had Leeds fallen short again, similarly difficult decisions would have had to be made and as a £3m signing whose value has increased significantly, Tanaka could easily have been one of those up for sale. But while the 27-year-old acknowledges that possibility, he insists the determination was to reach the Premier League with Leeds.
“Yes, there was [a lot of pressure],” he added. “Of course, there was also the view that if I was doing so well in the games, I could move up even if we weren't promoted. However, I was well aware that transferring isn't easy, so I was determined to get promoted.”
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