Rento Takaoka

Rento Takaoka (高岡 伶颯) is a Japanese footballer who plays as a forward for U-18 Prince League Kyushu club Nissho Gakuen High School, from Miyazaki. He will join Premier League club Southampton in March 2025.

High school
Having initially started his career in Mimata in the Miyazaki Prefecture, where he was born, with Mimata SSS, he continued to play during his time at the Mimata Junior High School and Nissho Gakuen High School. Takaoka helped Nissho Gakuen to participate in the 2023 All Japan High School Soccer Tournament as Miyazaki representative, scoring a hat-trick in a 6–1 win in the prefectural final over the Miyazaki Nihon University High School.

Southampton
On 19 June 2024, Takaoka signed a pre-contract with Premier League club Southampton. He will remain with Nissho Gakuen High School until he turns 18 in March 2025 and graduates from high school.

International career
Takaoka was called up to the Japan under-17 in March 2023 for a friendly tournament in Algeria. In June of the same year, he represented Japan at the 2023 AFC U-17 Asian Cup, scoring once against Australia. Plus, in August, he won the MVP award at 2023 Balcom BMW cup, which was held by JFA.

He was called up again to the squad for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup, and in the opening game against Poland, his goal in the 76th minute secured a 1–0 win for Japan. Having scored once more in Japan's 3–1 defeat to Argentina, he scored twice as they finished the group with a 2–0 win against Senegal, securing qualification to the knock-out rounds. In the end, his national team finished their first global tournament at the round of 16.