Football: King Kazu Sets New Mark As Oldest Japan League Player

YOKOHAMA (Japan), June 16 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- Evergreen Kazuyoshi Miura rewrote his own record as the Japan Football League's oldest player, at 58 years and 109 days, as he made the first appearance of his 40th professional season on Sunday for Atletico Suzuka, Kyodo News Agency reported.

The former Japan forward was handed the captain's armband as he came on in the 82nd minute of the Japanese fourth-tier game away to YSCC Yokohama with his team 2-0 up. Miura had no shooting opportunity but helped Suzuka complete a 2-1 win.

"It's about what I've accumulated, so I have no special feeling about my age. I hope to play again showing my character," said Miura, who had returned from a leg injury suffered in January.

"I managed to play thanks to the support from everyone. I'm looking to step up a gear from here."

Miura spent a season and a half at the Portuguese second-tier side Oliveirense from February 2023 on loan from J-League second-division side Yokohama FC, playing in eight league games in total without scoring. He rejoined Suzuka for his second loan spell last June.

The Shizuoka Prefecture native left Japan at 15 for Brazil, where he made his professional debut with Santos in 1986. After returning to Japan in 1990, Miura won the MVP award in the J-League's inaugural season in 1993 while at Verdy Kawasaki, now Tokyo Verdy.

Miura, affectionately known as "King Kazu," became the first Japanese player in Italy's Serie A with Genoa in the 1994-1995 season, and he also had spells at Dinamo Zagreb, Kyoto Sanga, Vissel Kobe and Sydney FC.

Miura is second in Japan's all-time scoring list with 55 goals from 89 games, only behind Kunishige Kamamoto's 75 goals in 76 matches.

-- BERNAMA-KYODO