Tomi talked about his departure and injury on DAZN Japan's interview hosted by Atsuto Uchida (former Schalke 04 and Union Berlin player). This is my translation of a synopsis done by a Hong Kong facebook page reporting Japanese sports news.
Key points:
Departure decision was made after thorough discussions with the club. Concluded that "this is the best outcome for me, the club, and everyone involved."
Injury first occurred during the second year at Arsenal, in the Europa League R16 2nd leg against Sporting in March.
The same area was injured again in the 2nd leg of the CL QF against Bayern in April 2024.
"It’s the cartilage in my knee. Initially, it was the medial collateral ligament (inner part of the knee)."
Now rehabbing with JISS (Japan Institute of Sports Sciences)
He didn't comment on whether the club's methods were good or bad, but he did feel there was a clear difference in mindset and methods between England and Japan, which made recovery more difficult.
Admired Arteta being meticulous with details, praised Ramsdale, Saliba and Gabriel
"From now on, I’ll support the team as a Gooner (nickname for Arsenal fans) alongside all of you."
This time, Tomiyasu was invited to be a guest because of his strong request. He hoped to convey some ideas to the fans through his own words, so he decided to participate in the program at the last minute.
The program is divided into four parts, including "The process of leaving Arsenal", "The four years in Arsenal", "Becoming a free agent" and "Moriyasu Japan". This article mainly writes about the first two parts.
In "The Process of Leaving Arsenal", Takehiro Tomiyasu candidly shared the following:
"It wasn’t a sudden decision to leave. First, I want to make it clear that this wasn’t a one-sided contract termination, nor did I suddenly say 'I want to leave.' It was a decision made after thorough discussions with the club. We concluded that 'this is the best outcome for me, the club, and everyone involved.' That’s why I left early—it was a peaceful departure, a mutual closure."
"I was at Arsenal for four years, but in the 2024–25 season, I only played five minutes. I spent the entire year in rehabilitation. During that time, I was under a lot of pressure and uncertainty. Honestly, my heart wasn’t really in it anymore. I started asking myself, 'Do I really have a future here?' (Uchida: So you were thinking of changing environments?) Yes, with all those factors, I definitely had that thought."
"Once I had decided to leave, I went around saying goodbye to my teammates, coaches, and staff. I walked into the locker room, the staff offices, and told each person, 'I’m leaving.' Through this process, I truly felt again... 'I was really loved by everyone here.' That made me very happy. My teammates were surprised too, since I still had a contract (until summer 2026), and I was still recovering from injury."
Then Uchida commented:
"That’s because of your contributions to the team. That’s why everyone treated you that way. I’m sure the other players appreciated everything you did too."Tomiyasu, now aiming for the World Cup next year, responded:
"For me, this was the best timing. Becoming a free agent allows me to focus on rehab and myself. That’s the most positive and meaningful part of this decision."Tomiyasu also revealed details about his injury:
"It’s the cartilage in my knee. Initially, it was the medial collateral ligament (inner part of the knee)."He explained that the injury first occurred during his second year at Arsenal, in the Europa League Round of 16 second leg against Sporting CP in March 2023. He was substituted off just nine minutes into the match due to a knee injury. Although he returned and played normally for a while, the same area was injured again in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich in April 2024. He continued to play afterward, but his knee began to feel unstable. The medical team suspected that this had affected the cartilage.
Uchida, who also struggled with knee injuries during his career, said:
"There are all kinds of people helping with treatment, but I never really knew which method was the right one."
Now without a club’s support as a free agent, Tomiyasu said he would stay in Japan for rehabilitation:
"I’ve been to JISS (Japan Institute of Sports Sciences), and I’ve gathered people around me in Japan whom I trust so I can focus on my recovery."Tomiyasu believes that if you can't fully trust and commit to something 100%, then there's no point in doing it. If you're even slightly doubtful about the approach, no matter how good it might be, it won’t help you. He said that kind of uncertainty had been lingering for years. Reflecting on his rehab life in England, Tomiyasu candidly said that he had already gone through several rehab periods at Arsenal starting in the latter half of his first season. He didn't comment on whether the club's methods were good or bad, but he did feel there was a clear difference in mindset and methods between England and Japan, which made recovery more difficult.
As for his current condition, Tomiyasu said he's not yet at 70–80%, but he feels he's gradually improving—currently about 50%.
Looking back on his time at Arsenal, Tomiyasu said one of his first shocking moments was seeing goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale’s performance. Both of them joined Arsenal in the summer of 2021 and made their Premier League debuts for the club in a match against Norwich City in September. Tomiyasu recalled:
"In that game, I realized, 'This guy (Ramsdale) is amazing.' His kicking, passing, and shot-stopping were all top-class. I’d never seen a goalkeeper of that level before."Regarding the Premier League, Tomiyasu laughed and said that even players whose names he didn’t know were incredibly talented, making every match a tough battle. He even felt that sometimes Champions League games were easier in comparison.
On Arsenal’s manager Mikel Arteta, Tomiyasu honestly said that Arteta was extremely meticulous with details:
"When I first joined, I was shocked by how much he sought the 'right answer' in football."However, under Arteta, Tomiyasu admitted that he sometimes overthought things, trying too hard to meet Arteta's expectations, which ended up affecting his performance negatively.
While Tomiyasu usually plays as a center-back (CB) for the Japan national team, he was mostly used as a full-back (SB) at Arsenal. When asked by Uchida whether he ever wanted to play CB for the club, Tomiyasu responded:
"I felt like I needed to play SB at Arsenal. Being a CB for Arsenal is incredibly tough. You have to organize play from the back while also creating time and space for teammates (with positioning and buildup), along with other high-level demands."He expressed high praise for Arsenal’s current starting CBs, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães.
At the end of the interview, Tomiyasu gave a heartfelt message to Arsenal fans:
"Your support gave me strength. Whether in London or Japan, I always felt your encouragement. Being able to play as an Arsenal player made me very happy. I’m proud of my four years at the club. From now on, I’ll support the team as a Gooner alongside all of you."
