Kazuyoshi Miura, set to turn 59 next month and is the world's oldest professional footballer, has signed a temporary transfer until June with J3 League club Fukushima United.
The transfer means Miura might feature in the Japanese professional league - encompassing the highest tiers of football in Japan - for the initial occasion in five years.
The former Japan striker, who started his career with the Brazilian club Santos in 1986, did not find the net in just over an hour across seven outings last season while on loan at JFL side Atletico Suzuka.
"My love for the game hasn't changed, regardless of my age," he said as he prepares for a forty-first campaign as a professional footballer.
"I'm very grateful to be given this opportunity. I promise I will play with everything I have to help the team. Together, we can create a legacy!"
Known as 'King Kazu' in Japan, this will be Miura's fourth loan since 2022 from second division club Yokohama FC.
The veteran, who has also featured in Italy, Croatia and Australia, signed for the club in 2005 but has not played a minute for them since 2020.
He netted 55 goals in 89 games in an international career that ended in 2000, two years after his notable omission from the squad for Japan's first World Cup finals appearance.
Miura, who has talked of continuing his career into his seventh decade, said he was ready to "take on a new challenge" after being relegated last season to the country's lower regional divisions.
Fukushima ended the season in tenth place in the 20-team third division last season.
