Kazuyoshi Miura, set to turn 59 next month and is recognized globally as football's most senior pro, has agreed to a loan deal until June with J3 League club Fukushima United.
This move means Miura could play in the J.League - encompassing the highest tiers of football in Japan - for the initial occasion in five years.
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 given this opportunity. I vow I will play with all my heart to help the team. Together, we can create a legacy!"
Known as 'King Kazu' in Japan, this will be Miura's fourth temporary move since 2022 from second division club 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 career for the national team that concluded in 2000, two years after his notable omission 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 United ended the season in tenth place in the twenty-club J3 League last season.
