KAZU MIURA, the world’s oldest footballer, has signed for a new club to continue his 36-YEAR career.
Incredibly, the 55-year-old forward, who spent a decade starring for the Japanese national team, began his professional career back in 1986 with Brazilian side Santos.
GettyKazuyoshi Miura has been playing pro football for more than a quarter of a century[/caption]
He spent 17 years playing for Yokohama FC until earlier this yearGetty
Since then he has moved teams on 14 occasions – but had spent 17 years with Yokohama FC before being loaned out to Suzuka Point Getters earlier this year.
According to Nikkan Sport, he is now set to join Portuguese second tier outfit Oliveirense.
And it makes sense given the majority owners of the European outfit also own Yokohama.
Miura, who was playing before Lionel Messi was BORN, was spotted at the airport heading to Portugal on Wednesday ahead of the move.
The icon originally shot to stardom in the early 90s when he trumped England legend Gary Lineker, who played for Grampus Eight, to the J-League’s most valuable player award.
The forward bagged 117 goals in 192 appearances for Verdy Kawasaki and was named Asian Footballer of the Year in 1992 – beating Lineker to the prize.
That led to a loan move to Italian side Genoa followed by a permanent switch to Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia
He then returned to Japan in 1999 with Kyoto Sanga.
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Next up came a five-year stint with Vissel Kobe, before he moved to Yokohama in 2005.
Miura also spent a decade playing for Japan between 1990 and 2000, scoring a sensational 55 goals in 89 appearances.
But he remarkably never made it to a World Cup as Japan failed to qualify in 1994 and he was then controversially left out of their squad for the 1998 tournament.
Nicknamed “King Kazu”, the veteran attacker revealed earlier this year he plans to carry on playing until he is 60.