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<strong>We can create history'</strong> - Kazuyoshi Miura, fifty-eight, signs with new football side.

The legendary Japanese striker, who turns 59 in February 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 - encompassing the highest tiers of Japanese football - for the initial occasion in half a decade.

The former Japan striker, who started his career 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 passion for football hasn't changed, no matter how old I get," he said as he prepares for a forty-first campaign 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!"

Referred to as 'King Kazu' in Japan, this will be Miura's fourth temporary move since 2022 from J2 League side Yokohama FC.

Miura, 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 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 demoted last season to the country's lower regional divisions.

Fukushima United finished 10th in the twenty-club third division last season.

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Joseph Gill

Elara Vance is a tech analyst and digital strategist with over a decade of experience in emerging technologies and innovation consulting.

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