Football: Injury-plagued Tomiyasu makes Eredivisie debut for Ajax

The 27-year-old came off the bench in the 80th minute, marking his first appearance in an official match since October 2024, when he was with Arsenal in the English Premier League.

Tomiyasu entered at left back immediately after Ajax leveled the match at 2-2.

"I thought I'd get emotional, but my focus was on how we could win," he said. "I'm supposed to set an example for the younger players."

Tomiyasu, formerly a mainstay of the Japan national team, joined Arsenal from Italian Serie A club Bologna in 2021 but struggled with his fitness.

After undergoing two surgeries on his right knee in recent years, he left the London-based club by mutual consent in July and signed with the Dutch powerhouse in December.

Capable of playing anywhere across the backline, he was part of the Samurai Blue at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and last played for the national team in June 2024.

Attention has turned to whether he can be in shape for this year's World Cup, to be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States in June.

"I'm still not 100 percent," he said. "I think I can gradually increase my playing time, and I hope my condition will improve in that process."

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