<strong>We can make history'</strong> - Miura, fifty-eight, joins new football side.
Kazuyoshi Miura, set to turn 59 next month and is the world's oldest professional footballer, has agreed to a temporary transfer until June with Japanese third division side Fukushima United.
This move means Miura could play in the J.League - encompassing the highest tiers of Japanese football - for the initial occasion in five years.
The ex-international forward, who began his professional journey with Brazilian side Santos in 1986, did not find the net in 69 minutes across seven outings last season while on loan at JFL side Atletico Suzuka.
"My love for the game remains undimmed, no matter how old I get," he said as he prepares for a 41st season as a professional footballer.
"I'm very grateful to be given this opportunity. I vow I will play with everything I have to help the team. 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 featured in Australia, Italy, and Croatia, 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 ended in 2000, two years after his notable omission from the squad for Japan's maiden FIFA World Cup campaign.
Miura, who has expressed a desire for playing until he is 60, said he was ready to "embrace a fresh test" after being demoted last season to the country's lower regional divisions.
Fukushima United ended the season in tenth place in the twenty-club third division last season.