JAPANESE FOOTBALL LEGEND Kazuyoshi Miura has signed a new one-year deal to remain at second-division side Yokohama FC and continue his top-level playing career for a little while longer.
The contract extension ensures the iconic striker will play beyond his 49th birthday.
Having bounced around various clubs ever since his pomp in the mid-1990s (including Genoa and Dinamo Zagreb), Yokohama has been Miura’s home for the last decade.
Japan’s first major international football personality, he left his homeland as a teenager to go and make it professionally in Brazil – a feat he remarkably accomplished, featuring for sides like Coritiba and Santos before returning to Japan.
Miura quickly became a superstar with the launch of the J-League, where he won a litany of titles.
His performances led to a move to Serie A though his spell in Genoa was a disappointment with Miura only scoring once all season.
He excelled for his country during qualification for the 1998 World Cup, netting 14 goals though he wasn’t included in the Japanese squad that travelled to France.
He retired from international football in 2000, having scored 55 goals in 89 appearances.
