Takahiro Sekine

Sekine came through Urawa's own youth ranks, moving from FC Tsurugashima into the club's Junior Youth and Youth sides before breaking into the first team, and he stayed there until August 2017, when he left for the German second division with FC Ingolstadt 04. The switch never quite took hold: alongside his time with the first team he was also used in the reserves, Ingolstadt 04 II, before he returned to Urawa in June 2019 on a free transfer.

That second spell is where his career took shape. Sekine became a key player for Urawa Red Diamonds, making more than 250 appearances across all competitions and scoring over 20 goals for the club in this period, with 193 J1 League appearances and 13 goals in the division through the 2025 season. He won the AFC Champions League twice, in 2017 and again in 2022, added the Emperor's Cup in 2021 and the Japanese Super Cup in 2022, and had earlier picked up the J.League Cup in 2016. He was also on the losing side in two J1 League title races, in 2014 and 2016, and finished runner-up in the Emperor's Cup in 2015.

In July 2026, after his contract with Urawa expired, Sekine signed for Sydney FC in Australia's A-League on a three-year deal running to June 2029, joining on a free transfer and keeping the number 14 shirt he wore in Japan.