<strong>'Let's make history'</strong> - Miura, fifty-eight, signs with new team.

The legendary Japanese striker, who turns 59 in February and is the world's oldest professional footballer, has agreed to a temporary transfer until June with J3 League club Fukushima United.

The transfer 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 former Japan striker, who began his professional journey with the Brazilian club 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, regardless of my age," he said as he gears up for a forty-first campaign as a pro footballer.
"I'm very grateful to be given this opportunity. I promise I will play with everything I have 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 second division club Yokohama FC.

The veteran, who has also featured in Italy, Croatia and Australia, signed for the club in 2005 but has remained absent from the pitch for them since 2020.

He scored 55 goals in 89 games in an career for the national team 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 "take on a new challenge" after being relegated last season to the country's lower regional divisions.

Fukushima ended the season in tenth place in the twenty-club J3 League last season.

Jasmine Johnson
Jasmine Johnson

A Berlin-based gaming analyst with over a decade of experience in online casinos and slot machine strategies.