King Kazu - The Immortal Footballer
Yokohama FC Player Kazuyoshi Miura will turn 55 years this year making him the oldest active professional football player in the world.
His never-ending career fascinates football fans around the world and with his latest contract extension, starting his 36th season as a pro, there is no sign in it stopping any time soon.
Miura, born on the 26th of February 1967, also known as “King Kazu” grew up in a football family in Shizuoka, his older brother Yasutoshi also becoming a professional, and their father being an avid fan of the game.
“My father was in Mexico to watch the World Cup. He filmed the matches by 8mm video camera.”
Miura’s father had links to Brazil and the teenager left school in Shizuoka aged 15 to move there. At the time there was no professional football league in Japan so the only way to make it pro was to move country.
In 1986, three years after moving to Brazil, Miura signed for Santos, where Pele – star of those 8mm videos – played most of his career. He stayed in Brazil, at several clubs, for more than four years.
He returned to Japan in 1990 and the J-League’s first season, Miura was named most valuable player – beating, among others, England’s Gary Lineker.
“He is intrinsically tied up with the birth and development of professional football in Japan… he has achieved a god-like status, in some ways, I guess similar to Maradona in Argentina," Sean Carroll.
In 2005 – aged 38 – Miura signed for his current club, Yokohama FC, in the Japanese second division, becoming a key player, ultimately helping them to promote to the top division in 2006.
Miura remained a regular first-team player for Yokohama well into his 40s.
Miura is often asked what the “secret” is to his career. He insists there is no secret – other than hard work and dedication.
Despite playing twice in the League Cup, one time in the league this season, still, He holds the Guinness record for “world’s oldest goalscorer” which will remain in his hands for quite a while.
