<strong>Together, let's forge a legacy'</strong> - Kazuyoshi Miura, 58, signs with a fresh football side.

Kazuyoshi Miura, set to turn 59 next month and is the world's oldest professional footballer, has signed a temporary transfer until June with J3 League club Fukushima United.

The transfer means Miura could play in the Japanese professional league - the top three divisions 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 fourth-tier club Atletico Suzuka.

"My love for the game hasn't changed, no matter how old I get," he said as he gears up for a forty-first campaign as a professional footballer.
"I am truly thankful to be presented with this chance. I vow I will play with everything I have to help the team. Let's make history together!"

Referred to as 'King Kazu' in Japan, this will be Miura's fourth loan since 2022 from second division club Yokohama FC.

The veteran, who has also featured in Australia, Italy, and Croatia, joined the club in 2005 but has not played a minute for them since 2020.

He netted 55 goals in 89 games in an international career that ended in 2000, two years after his surprising exclusion from the squad for Japan's maiden FIFA World Cup campaign.

Miura, who has talked of continuing his career into his seventh decade, said he was ready to "take on a new challenge" after being demoted last season to the country's lower regional divisions.

Fukushima ended the season in tenth place in the twenty-club third division last season.

Matthew Clements
Matthew Clements

A tech-savvy writer with a passion for exploring how digital trends shape our daily lives and entertainment experiences.