FOOTBALL: 58-YEAR-OLD MIURA CLOSE TO JOINING J3 SIDE FUKUSHIMA UNITED

TOKYO, Dec 29 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- Japanese 58-year-old former national team forward Kazuyoshi Miura is set to join J-League third-division side Fukushima United on loan from J2-bound Yokohama FC, Kyodo News Agency reported, citing a source close to the matter on Sunday.

In what was his 40th season as a professional, Miura this year went without a goal in seven games while on loan at Atletico Suzuka in the fourth-tier Japan Football League and had several offers on the table after they were relegated.

Turning 59 in February, Miura is set to aim for his first J-League appearance since 2021, when he was with Yokohama FC.

The J-League will hold a special tournament between February and June next year before pushing back its start to August in line with top club competitions in Europe and Asia, with Fukushima featuring in a competition combining all J2 and J3 teams.

A Shizuoka Prefecture native, Miura left Japan at 15 for Brazil where he made his professional debut with Santos in 1986. After returning to Japan in 1990, Miura won the MVP award in the J-League's inaugural season in 1993 playing for Verdy Kawasaki, now Tokyo Verdy.

Widely known as "King Kazu" Miura became the first Japanese to play in Italy's Serie A with Genoa in the 1994-1995 season and also had spells at Dinamo Zagreb, Kyoto Sanga, Vissel Kobe and Sydney FC.

Miura is second on Japan's all-time scoring list with 55 goals from 89 games, behind only the late Kunishige Kamamoto's 75 goals in 76 matches.

-- BERNAMA-KYODO