Former Japan international Kazuyoshi Miura, 56, will continue his career after extending his loan spell at Oliveirense, the Portuguese second division club announced on Tuesday. Oliveirense said on social media that the striker, who made three appearances for the club after being loaned out by Yokohama FC last February, will stay in Portugal next season.
Miura turned 56 in February and wants to continue playing until he is 60. “There will be times when I won’t be in matches, but I want to stay motivated and do what I can where I can,” he recently told Nikkan Sports daily.
Known as ‘King Kazu’ in his country, Miura made his debut in 1986 with Brazilian club Santos and has also played in Japan, Italy, Croatia and Australia. One of Asia’s best-known footballers of the 1990s, he helped put Japanese football on the map when the professional J-League was launched in 1993. Miura made his debut for Japan in 1990, but he was dropped from selection when the ‘Samurai Blue’ first appeared in the World Cup finals in 1998, despite scoring 55 goals in 89 appearances for the national team.