He was the template for the manga series: The oldest football professional is still a year away

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Even at the age of 56, it is not over: Kazuyoshi Miura, the world’s oldest professional footballer, continues his decades-long playing career and extends his contract with Yokohama FC for another year. “King Kazu” is loaned directly from the Japanese first division team to the Portuguese second division club UD Oliveirense, where he already played last season (three short appearances). The clubs announced this on Wednesday.

Known as “King Kazu” in his home country, Miura moved to Brazil from Japan in 1982 and made his debut with FC Santos four years later. As a professional, the attacker, who turned 56 on February 27, has played 37 seasons. Far from thinking about retirement from football, the fan favorite probably wants to play until his 60th birthday.

“There will be times when I’m not playing, but I want to stay motivated and do what I can,” said the Japanese. The 56-year-old played for clubs in Brazil, Japan, Italy, Croatia and Australia. With his move to Brazil, he became the template for the manga series “Captain Tsubasa”, which became known worldwide.

In 2020, he broke the Japan J-League age record when he started Yokohama at 53 years, six months and 28 days. In 2017, Miura became the oldest goalscorer to score in a professional match. Miura scored 55 goals in 89 games for the national team between 1990 and 2000. (nsa/SDA/AFP)

Source : Blick