<strong>'Let's create a legacy'</strong> - Kazuyoshi Miura, 58, joins a fresh team.
Kazuyoshi Miura, set to turn 59 next month and is the world's oldest professional footballer, has finalized a loan deal until June with Japanese third division side Fukushima United.
This move means Miura might feature in the J.League - encompassing the highest tiers of Japanese football - for the initial occasion in five years.
The ex-international forward, who started his career with Brazilian side Santos in 1986, failed to score in 69 minutes across seven appearances last season while on loan at JFL side Atletico Suzuka.
"My love for the game hasn't changed, regardless of my age," he said as he gears up for a forty-first campaign as a professional footballer.
"I'm very grateful to be given this opportunity. I vow I will play with all my heart to make a contribution. Together, we can create a legacy!"
Referred to as 'King Kazu' in Japan, this will be Miura's fourth temporary move since 2022 from J2 League side Yokohama FC.
The veteran, who has also played club football in Italy, Croatia and Australia, joined the club in 2005 but has remained absent from the pitch for them since 2020.
He scored 55 goals in 89 games in an international career that concluded in 2000, two years after his notable omission from the squad for Japan's first World Cup finals appearance.
Miura, who has expressed a desire for playing until he is 60, said he was ready to "embrace a fresh test" after being relegated last season to the country's lower regional divisions.
Fukushima finished 10th in the 20-team J3 League last season.
