<strong>Together, let's make a legacy'</strong> - Kazuyoshi Miura, 58, signs with a fresh team.
Kazuyoshi Miura, set to turn 59 next month and is the world's oldest professional footballer, has signed a loan deal until June with J3 League club Fukushima United.
This move means Miura could play in the Japanese professional league - the top three divisions of Japanese football - for the initial occasion in five years.
The ex-international forward, who began his professional journey with the Brazilian club Santos in 1986, did not find the net in just over an hour across seven appearances last season while on loan at fourth-tier club Atletico Suzuka.
"My passion for football hasn't changed, no matter how old I get," he said as he gears up for a 41st season as a professional footballer.
"I am truly thankful to be given this opportunity. I vow I will play with all my heart to make a contribution. Together, we can create a legacy!"
Known 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, 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 international career that concluded in 2000, shortly following his surprising exclusion from the squad for Japan's maiden FIFA World Cup campaign.
The footballer, who has expressed a desire for playing until he is 60, said he was ready to "take on a new challenge" after being demoted last season to the country's lower regional divisions.
Fukushima United finished 10th in the twenty-club J3 League last season.
