Talents Calendar 

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The U17 World Cup was a showcase event for many young players. Rento Takaoka was no exception. The 17-year-old Japanese striker was one of many talents to emerge from the tournament in Indonesia and could soon feature in the Premier League for Southampton. 

In the games against Poland (1-0), Argentina (1-3) and Senegal (2-0), the 17-year-old center-forward scored all his team’s four goals. Then, in the round of 16, they were eliminated by a very strong Spanish side, but the tournament was a major success for Takaoka. Scouts from all over the world witnessed the performances of the young star, who plays for Nissho Gakuen High School. It was only a question of time until the first offers would come—half a year later, he signed a contract in Europe. 

Southampton secured his signature last summer and will move to England next March. Before moving to England, Takaoka is expected to finish high school. A trial with the Saints in April convinced the Premier League club to sign Takaoka and to continue a tradition. The forward will follow in the footsteps of Tadanari Lee, Maya Yoshida, Takumi Minamino, Kuryu Matsuki, and Yukinari Sugawara and become the sixth Japanese player at the club since 2012.

Takaoka convinces with speed and conviction

At 165cm, Takaoka is a small forward. “He has strength, speed and conviction,” Japan’s U17 coach Yoshiro Moriyama said at the U17 World Cup to FIFA.com. “He is a fighter and has the energy to initiate things. He has this unbelievable skill to score goals in the penalty box; he is always at the right place at the right time.” 

Takaoka managed to show his skills in the buildup to the U17 World Cup. The striker scored the decisive goal in the 3-1 win over Australia in qualifying. At 2-1—Bayern’s top talent Nestory Irankunda had halved the lead—Takaoka was sent deep and then beat goalkeeper Pavlesic. But instead of firing the ball with a quick release, Takaoka rounded the keeper to tap the ball home. 

That goal highlighted Takaoka’s skills on the pitch. “I want to be a destroyer,” Takaoka said during his introduction at Southampton. “I want to crush my opponents with my speed, work ethic, and precision in goalscoring situations.” He also showed grand ambitions. “My personal goal is to win the World Cup. I want to score many goals for Southampton and become a player who will fulfill children’s dreams.”

From December 1 to 24, we introduce new players from different countries born in 2007 and 2008. Area managers, users, and data scouts come into play as experts throughout the series. You can follow all those players by adding them to your TM watchlist.