Hiroki Sekine

Hiroki Sekine (関根 大輝) is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a right back for J1 League club Kashiwa Reysol.

Club career
Born in Shizuoka, Sekine attended the Shizuoka Gakuen High School. He won the All Japan High School Soccer Tournament in 2019 with his high school team as a back-up center back. After graduating from high school in 2021, he was didn't receive any contract offer from professional clubs, leading him to enter the Takushoku University. Here, he was repositioned to play as a right back.

In May 2023, Kashiwa Reysol announced the signature of Sekine from 2025 and registered him in the squad as a "specially designated player". On 24 May 2023, he made his professional debut in his team's 0–1 away defeat against Kashima Antlers, as part of the 2023 J.League Cup. He officially joined Kashiwa Reysol, one year earlier than the scheduled transfer. He quickly gain a starter spot at the club, starting in all 7 J1 League games before leaving the team to participate in the U-23 Asian Cup.

International career
Sekine was parto of the Japan U23 squad that won the silver medal in the 2022 Asian Games. In the 2024 AFC U-23 Asian Cup final, while Japan was leading 1–0 against Uzbekistan, he conceded a penalty in the 96th minute. Leo Kokubo later saved the penalty shot from Umarali Rakhmonaliev, securing the title for Japan.

Honours
Japan U23
 * AFC U-23 Asian Cup: 2024
 * Asian Games Silver Medal: 2022