<strong>We can make history'</strong> - Kazuyoshi Miura, 58, joins a fresh football side.
Kazuyoshi Miura, set to turn 59 next month and is recognized globally as football's most senior pro, has finalized a loan deal until June with J3 League club Fukushima United.
This move means Miura might feature in the Japanese professional league - encompassing the highest tiers of Japanese football - for the initial occasion in half a decade.
The ex-international forward, who began his professional journey with Brazilian side Santos in 1986, failed to score in just over an hour across seven outings last season while on loan at JFL side Atletico Suzuka.
"My passion for football remains undimmed, no matter how old I get," he said as he gears up for a forty-first campaign as a pro footballer.
"I am truly thankful to be given this opportunity. I vow I will play with all my heart to make a contribution. Let's make history together!"
Known as 'King Kazu' in Japan, this will be Miura's fourth loan since 2022 from J2 League side Yokohama FC.
The veteran, who has also played club football in Australia, Italy, and Croatia, joined the club in 2005 but has not played a minute for them since 2020.
He scored 55 goals in 89 games in an career for the national team that ended in 2000, two years after his surprising exclusion from the squad for Japan's first World Cup finals appearance.
Miura, who has expressed a desire for continuing his career into his seventh decade, said he was ready to "take on a new challenge" after being demoted last season to Japan's regional leagues.
Fukushima finished 10th in the 20-team third division last season.
