Kazuyoshi Miura, who turns 59 in February and is the world's oldest professional footballer, has finalized 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 Japanese football - for the first time 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 hasn't changed, no matter how old I get," he said as he gears up for a forty-first campaign as a professional footballer.
"I am truly thankful to be presented with this chance. I vow I will play with all my heart to help the team. Let's make history together!"
Known as 'King Kazu' in Japan, this will be Miura's fourth loan since 2022 from second division club Yokohama FC.
Miura, who has also played club football in Australia, Italy, and Croatia, joined the club in 2005 but has remained absent from the pitch for them since 2020.
He scored 55 goals in 89 games in an career for the national team that ended in 2000, two years after his surprising exclusion from the squad for Japan's maiden FIFA World Cup campaign.
The footballer, 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 twenty-club J3 League last season.
