Kazuyoshi Miura, set to turn 59 next month and is the world's oldest professional footballer, has finalized a loan deal until June with J3 League club Fukushima United.
This move means Miura might feature in the J.League - the top three divisions of football in Japan - 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 69 minutes across seven appearances last season while on loan at JFL side Atletico Suzuka.
"My passion for football remains undimmed, no matter how old I get," he said as he gears up for a forty-first campaign as a pro footballer.
"I'm very grateful to be presented with this chance. I promise 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 loan since 2022 from J2 League side Yokohama FC.
Miura, 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 international career that concluded in 2000, two years after his notable omission 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 third division last season.
