Life begins at 57 for Japanese striker King Kazu. He acknowledges 'I'm at quite an age'

TOKYO (AP) — Kazuyoshi Miura was matter-of-fact about it this week when he joined Japanese club Atletico Suzuka.

“I'm at quite an age," he said in a Tokyo news conference.

Yes he is.

Miura is 57, and the former Japanese international is still playing after most of his contemporaries have been out of the game for decades.

Simply known as “King Kazu,” he is joining the fourth-tier Japanese club on loan from second-division team FC Yokohama. He returns to Japan and the same Suzuka club after playing for two seasons on loan with second-division Portuguese team Oliveirense, where he played sparingly and failed to score.

Miura scored two goals in his first stint with the Suzuka club in 2022 before leaving for Portugal.

Miura scored 55 goals in 89 appearance and was a star with Japan's national team in the 1990s.

“Retiring isn’t an option. I want to play as many minutes as I can in games,” Miura said this week at a news conference, quoted by Japanese news agency Kyodo.

Miura has played professionally in Brazil, Italy, Croatia, Australia and Portugal. He made his debut in 1986 with Brazilian club Santos, a side made famous by Brazilian star Pele.

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