Sydney FC's signing of Alessandro Del Piero was the catalyst for Shinji Ono's move to Western Sydney Wanderers Japanese star Shinji Ono is loving life at the Wanderers. MOST Wanderers fans would be loathe to admit it, but Alessandro Del Piero has an assist that won't appear in the score book but helped to define the season. The Del Piero effect didn't just shift tickets and merchandise, it also shifted the viewpoint of supporters, coaches and, crucially, those signing cheques about the value of the right marquee. Without ADP, there'd be no Shinji. Remember that a marquee was never high on the Wanderers' agenda, until everyone from Frank Lowy to Lyall Gorman saw the near hysteria that Del Piero brought to Sydney in September. Michael Ballack was suddenly thrust forward as a putative signing for the fledgling club, and that in itself became a catalyst. "First we had Del Piero, then Newcastle signed Emile Heskey, it was one momentous event after another," said Lou Sticca, the FIFA agent who had worked with Sydney on the Del Piero deal. Suddenly there was this talk of Ballack for Wanderers, so I contacted my colleagues in Japan to see if they had ideas for someone appropriate. They put Shinji's name forward, and when I put it to the club, they came straight back with real interest, and from there it was relatively straightforward to do. Any knowledge of Tony Popovic's career would make this no great surprise, after the formative period he spent in Japan that made him an advocate of the work ethic and culture of the J-League. Not that the newly appointed coach failed to check out the individual in this case too, which is no surprise from one of the most diligent coaches in the league. Popovic got straight on the phone to Alex Brosque, who had been Ono's teammate at Shimizu for 18 months. Brosque and Popovic had of course been teammates at Sydney FC, and the Socceroos striker had a personal reason for the glowing character reference he provided. "I was in Japan when there was the talk about Ballack for Western Sydney, and then Shinji," Brosque said. I got a call from Popa who I guess was looking to do some homework on him as a possible signing. He made it clear to me that he was trying to create a certain culture at the club, and didn't want any distractions. It was pretty clear to me the kind of player he was after and that was the kind of person Shinji is."Early in 2011 Brosque had left Sydney and moved with his young family to the J-League club Shimizu S-Pulse, where Ono had been since the year before. "It was great to have Eddy Bosnar there as a fellow Aussie, but of the local boys Shinji was the one who helped me the most," said Brosque. He spoke the most English, but also he realised from his own experience how hard it is to move to a completely different culture with a young family. We became very good mates, and he's a gentleman to know. Both Brosque and Ono became victims to Shimizu's decision to move on their higher-earning players and adopt a more youthful model, though the irony is Brosque's move to Al Ain came just too early for him to offer Ono some reverse advice. Not that Ono has struggled to adapt, apart from the separation from family. He's hugely popular in the Wanderers dressing room and the supporters have reacted with acclaim to the style and bursts of technical genius that have punctuated the season. Those moments are the reason he will be watched so closely by the Mariners defence tonight. "His work ethic and his professionalism are what the boys at the Wanderers talk about now," says Brosque. He does everything he can to look after himself, and he's an excellent role model. He's also benefited from Popovic's "prehab" regime, the management of the players' bodies by the individuals and the club to avert as much injury risk as possible. "As much as Shinji has been great for the Wanderers, the same has been true the other way," says Sticca. He's as fit as he has been for a long time, and playing 90 minutes all the time, as well as the moments of pure quality we've all seen. He's also opened the eyes of a lot of people to Japan as a resource for Australian football. Asian players may not have been on the tip of some people's tongues in terms of potential recruits, but Shinji's a real soldier and has changed that. Until the second year of Ono's deal is confirmed, possibly this week, the Wanderers supporters will remain nervous. But those on each side of the negotiations are relaxed, and say there is no rush. Both sides know they are on to a good thing.