Japan footballer 'King Kazu' to play on at the age of 58

The veteran 58-year-old forward Kazuyoshi Miura plans to sign with a third-division club in Japan, starting his 41st season in professional football, according to reports from local media on Sunday.

Nicknamed "King Kazu", Miura is heading to Fukushima United on a one-year loan following his stint last season with Atletico Suzuka in the fourth tier.

While the deal remains unconfirmed, Miura's previous transfers have often been revealed at 11:11 a.m. on 11 January, a tribute to his jersey number.

This ex-international for Japan will reach his 59th birthday in February.

In the previous campaign, he appeared seven times for Suzuka, whose relegation to the regional leagues came after they placed second from the bottom and fell short in the playoffs.

Miura launched his pro career in 1986 with Santos in Brazil and went on to feature for clubs across Italy, Croatia, Australia, and Portugal.

He contributed significantly to football's growth in Japan during the launch of the professional J. League in 1993.

Having debuted for Japan in 1990, he was notably excluded from the squad for their inaugural World Cup in 1998, despite tallying 55 goals across 89 caps for the national team.