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The oldest active professional footballer Kazuyoshi Miura has signed for Portuguese second-division side Oliveirense on loan from Japanese outfit Yokohama FC. The news was broken by foreign news station BBC, who wrote, 'His 56th birthday is just around the corner but Japanese striker Kazuyoshi Miura is still making moves in football – literally.'
Miura has made the move to the Portuguese-based club, with Yokohama recently acquiring a majority stake in this team in November. The Japanese Guinness World Record-holder is the oldest goalscorer in Japanese professional league football, also known as the J League.
Oliveirense have also announced his signing on social media.
This move will make Portugal the sixth country that Miura has played it, with the veteran forward having plied his trade in Brazil, Japan, Italy, Croatia and Australia.
“Even though this is a new place for me, I’ll work hard to show everyone the kind of play I’m known for,” said Miura, who will celebrate his birthday on 26 February.
“He has previously said he plans to continue playing until he is 60. Miura spent last season on loan at Suzuka Point Getters, scoring two goals in 18 appearances for the Japanese fourth-tier side who are managed by his older brother Yasutoshi,” BBC wrote.
Just four years to his 60th birthday, Miura began his long career with the Brazilian team Santos in 1986. In 2017, he became the oldest player to score in a Japanese professional league game with his goal against Thespakusatsu Gunma at the ripe old age of 50 years and 14 days.
“Dubbed ‘King Kazu’ in Japan, he is one of the country’s most loved sportsmen and was the face of the J League when it launched in 1993. He scored 55 goals in 89 games for Japan,” the BBC added.
