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The oldest player in football, 56-year-old former Japanese striker Miura, has a new deal


Japanese forward Kazuyoshi Miura may be the world’s oldest professional football player, but he is not ready to hang up his boots just yet.

The 56-year-old forward, who is also known as King Kazu, has extended his loan deal with Portuguese second-tier club Oliveirense.

Former Japan international Miura, who earned 89 caps between 1990 and 2000, scoring 55 goals, joined Oliveirense in January on loan from promoted Japanese J1 League side Yokohama – whose owners, the restaurant operator Onodera Group, last year became a majority shareholder of the Portuguese side.

“Miura Kazu continues at UD Oliveirense,” the Liga Portugal 2 club announced on Twitter on Tuesday.

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The club did not specify the length of the veteran’s new contract, but Miura, who turned 56 in February, has indicated that he would like to keep playing until he is 60 years old.

“There will be times where I’m not involved in games, but I want to stay motivated and do what I can where I can,” the Nikkan Sports outlet quoted him as saying recently.

Considered one of Japan’s football greats, Miura started his professional career in the 1980s in Brazil, where he played for Santos, Palmeiras and Coritiba, among others.

He joined second-tier Yokohama in 2005 from Japanese top-tier side Vissel Kobe, and has also had spells with Genoa in Italy, Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia and Australia’s Sydney FC.

Miura briefly represented Japan’s futsal team in 2012, and was called up for the 2012 Futsal World Cup at the age of 45.

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