From Menina to Manchester: Yui Hasegawa’s case for being the most complete midfielder in women’s football

Yui Hasegawa is a prime example of what it means to be a modern midfielder. Technically sound, physical, and a conductor of play in both attacking and defensive scenarios across the pitch – she is a complete player in the middle of the park.

Her football journey has required hard work and determination, something the Japan international has shown from a young age. Her drive comes from the desire to be better on and off the ball.

“People see me as an attacking player, but I also want to be known for my defending and unpredictability,” she told Sky Sports. “I may be small, but I am strong and I want to show that.”

These motivations were instilled from a young age, after having no girls' teams to compete in when she first began playing. It meant those formative years were spent in boys’ teams, where the 29-year-old found confidence in her ability on the ball.

At 13, she was accepted into Menina, the youth academy of Tokyo Verdy Beleza, where she became central to their success after being quickly integrated into the older age groups.

“At Menina, there were only a few players selected each year, and when I joined, I was straight into playing with bigger, older girls,” she added.

“I’ve never been worried about playing with older players. When I first started playing for the senior team, I thought the most important thing was to just enjoy myself. I’m very used to it.”

For all she has grown as a player, Hasegawa remains committed to soaking up knowledge and experiences to become the best midfielder she can be. Right now, she has put herself comfortably in the same category as some of the best in the world.

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Hasegawa: 'AFC Asian Cup was very important for Japan'

Last month, Hasegawa was an integral part of the Japanese team that soared to AFC Asian Cup glory, beating Australia 1-0 in the final. It was the nation’s third title in this tournament, their first since 2018.

While competing in the cup required missing some of the domestic season for Manchester City, she insists it was critical for her growth.

“There aren’t many tournaments where you get the chance to play for the Japanese women’s national team, so the Asian Cup is very important for us,” she told the Manchester City website.

“Of course, the World Cup is also an extremely tough competition, but playing against Asian teams whose style of football is quite different from what we see in Europe was a really valuable experience for me.

“I feel it broadened my game and gave me more options as a player. It was a tournament where I was able to add a lot to my game.”

Just last year, Japan shocked the USA by pipping the hosts to the SheBelieves Cup trophy in the latest instalment of a rivalry that has been notoriously one-sided in favour of the U.S. team.

With that rare victory came a statement of intent, a showcase of the upward trajectory the nation is currently on. It is, in part, thanks to so many of the squad playing in different regions.

Some are contending with the physicality of the North American league, while many are coping with the gruelling and relentless schedule of the European leagues. Hasegawa is one of 20 players competing across England’s top division alone.

Not only are these international stars benefiting from the growth of the game, but the exposure to different styles and environments has also brought them closer to going toe-to-toe with the best teams in the world.

“In the past, Japanese players sometimes struggled physically but now many more are playing overseas. That side of the game has improved a lot,” she added.

“At the same time, we’re continuing to develop the technical qualities that Japanese players have always had. Because of that, I think our chances of winning the title [increased].”

Hasegawa: From inspired to inspiration

With few women’s teams in Japan at the time she was growing up, Hasegawa had no choice but to look to the men’s game in search of inspiration. There she discovered the wonders of Ronaldinho, whose style of play she admired.

After beginning to take the sport more seriously, she gravitated towards arguably one of the best midfielders in recent history: Andrés Iniesta.

“Iniesta was my inspiration,” Hasegawa revealed. “He had great technique, contributes to goals when it is important and leads his teammates… all these are things that I like, that is how he inspired me.

“My style is that I want the [fans] to really enjoy my football. Lately, I’m not just contributing to the offence, I am contributing to the defence as well. I’m trying to develop a sharp sense of prediction.”

Going forward, this is the kind of influence the City midfielder hopes to have on young football prospects aiming to make it to the big leagues.

Thanks to her and her teammates, many young girls in Japan can see that it is possible to dream big.

“While you’re young, it is important to have fun while playing,” she told Tokyo Weekender. “When I was a kid, there wasn’t even a professional women’s soccer league, so we could only look up to male players.

“Now with the WE League (Japan Women's Empowerment Professional Football League), there are so many more players who can make a living with just soccer. I hope a lot of little girls can look up to the WE league as a tangible goal for them.

“I’m going to keep trying my best to have as many kids as possible look at me and think ‘I want to be a soccer player.’”

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