INTRODUTION

Kiyama started his player career with Gamba Osaka in 1994 after graduating from Tsukuba University. He was one of Gamba’s key players during his first year, but due to injuries he could not help the team as much as he wanted to and after a one-year spell with Consadole Sapporo he retired from professional football temporarily in 1999. In the middle of the 1999 season, Kiyama resumed his career after receiving an offer from Mito Hollyhock who then played in the JFL (formerly third tier) and notably contributed to stabilizing Mito’s struggling defensive line. Definitive retirement after season 2002. 
Later on, he began to work as a manager at youth level, first with Tsukuba University’s football team and from 2005 Vissel Kobe’s youth team which he led to victory in the 2005 J Youth Cup. In 2008, he became the youngest J.League club manager in history at the young age of 35 and succeeded in competing for J1 promotion with very little budget in his second year. In 2011, Kiyama worked as head coach for Shimizu S-Pulse and became manager of JEF United Chiba in 2012, there he led his team to the J1 promotion play-off finals, but was eventually defeated. 
After working as a coach for Vissel Kobe from 2013, J2 side Ehime FC signed him as manager in 2015. For the first time in club history, Ehime FC reached the J1 promotion play-offs from rank 5 on the table in his first year. From 2017, he became manager of J2 side Montedio Yamagata and reached again the J1 promotion play-offs in 2019 season. 
Takashi spent a one-year spell as a head coach at J1 club, Vegalta Sendai in 2020, and then in September 2021, he was called up as a coach from Gamba Osaka where he started his career in football industry. Takashi was appointed as a new head coach at Fagiano Okayama towards the 2022 season.