When many footballers have already been retired for decades, Kazuyoshi Miura continues to defy time. The Japanese striker, known worldwide as 'King Kazu', will continue his professional career at the age of 59 after confirming his loan to Fukushima United FC, a team in Japan's third division.

The announcement was made this Thursday by the club itself, which will have one of the most emblematic footballers in Asian football to try to achieve promotion.

King Kazu will continue his career with Fukushima United

Far from thinking about retirement, Kazuyoshi Miura made it clear that he keeps his motivation to compete intact.

“I have decided to continue my challenge at Fukushima United FC, I will continue training with passion and giving my best every day to contribute to the team's promotion” to the second division, stated the Japanese attacker.

The veteran forward, born on February 26, 1967, will remain linked to the club until June 30 of next year, so everything indicates that he will celebrate his 60th birthday as a professional footballer.

Kazuyoshi Miura's career began in Brazil

Kazuyoshi Miura's career began in an unusual way for a Japanese footballer.

At just 15 years old, he left his country to move to Brazil, where he began his training and made his professional debut with Santos in 1986.

Four years later he returned to Japan and quickly became one of the great figures of local soccer. In 1993 he was elected the Most Valuable Player of the inaugural season of the J-League, while defending the jersey of the then Verdy Kawasaki.

The first Asian footballer to play in Serie A

In addition to shining in his country, King Kazu paved the way for other Asian players in Europe.

During the 1994-1995 season he played for Genoa, becoming the first Asian footballer to play in an Italian Serie A match.

Throughout his extensive career he also defended the colors of Dinamo Zagreb, Kyoto Sanga, Vissel Kobe and Sydney FC, establishing himself as one of the most respected figures in Japanese football.

A legend from Japan who was left without the World Cup in 1998

During the 1990s, Kazuyoshi Miura was one of the main figures of the Japan national team and one of the most recognized faces of Asian football.

However, he experienced one of the hardest moments of his career when he was excluded from the squad for the 1998 World Cup in France, the first World Cup that Japan played in.

Despite that absence, King Kazu built a career that made him one of the most influential players in Japanese soccer and, almost four decades after his professional debut, he continues to write new chapters on the fields.

With his arrival at Fukushima United, the tireless striker shows that his passion for football continues to be the driving force of a career that seems to have no expiration date.