Kazuyoshi Miura, who turns 59 in February and is recognized globally as football's most senior pro, has finalized a temporary transfer until June with J3 League club Fukushima United.
This move means Miura might feature in the J.League - encompassing the highest tiers 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, did not find the net in 69 minutes across seven outings last season while on loan at JFL side Atletico Suzuka.
"My passion for football hasn't changed, regardless of my age," he said as he prepares for a forty-first campaign as a professional footballer.
"I am truly thankful to be given this opportunity. I promise 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 temporary move since 2022 from second division club Yokohama FC.
The veteran, who has also played club football in Australia, Italy, and Croatia, 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 career for the national team that concluded in 2000, two years after his surprising exclusion from the squad for Japan's first World Cup finals appearance.
The footballer, who has talked of playing until he is 60, said he was ready to "take on a new challenge" after being relegated last season to Japan's regional leagues.
Fukushima ended the season in tenth place in the twenty-club J3 League last season.
