Kazuyoshi Miura, set to turn 59 next month and is recognized globally as football's most senior pro, has agreed to a temporary transfer until June with J3 League club Fukushima United.
The transfer means Miura could play in the J.League - the top three divisions of Japanese football - for the initial occasion in five years.
The former Japan striker, who started his career with Brazilian side Santos in 1986, failed to score in just over an hour across seven appearances last season while on loan at fourth-tier club Atletico Suzuka.
"My love for the game remains undimmed, no matter how old I get," he said as he prepares for a forty-first campaign as a professional footballer.
"I'm very grateful to be presented with this chance. I promise I will play with everything I have to make a contribution. Together, we can create a legacy!"
Referred to as 'King Kazu' in Japan, this will be Miura's fourth temporary move since 2022 from second division club Yokohama FC.
Miura, who has also featured in Italy, Croatia and Australia, signed for the club in 2005 but has remained absent from the pitch for them since 2020.
He netted 55 goals in 89 games in an international career that ended in 2000, two years after his surprising exclusion from the squad for Japan's first World Cup finals appearance.
The footballer, who has talked of playing until he is 60, said he was ready to "embrace a fresh test" after being relegated last season to Japan's regional leagues.
Fukushima United ended the season in tenth place in the 20-team J3 League last season.
