Japan’s ‘King Kazu’ still playing at top level at 53 years of age – 1998 provides the clue to how
- Shocked by his omission from the World Cup team to play in France, Kazuyoshi Miura follows new dream of playing for as long as he can
- Passion for playing the game still trumps any number of cushy gigs he could take off the pitch, making a lot more money
Just weeks before he turns 54 years old, Kazuyoshi Miura has signed a new one-year contract with J. League first division side Yokohama FC, making him the oldest ever player in the league and, very possibly, the oldest still turning out for a top-flight team anywhere in the world.
As he has done in years gone by after agreeing a new deal, Miura – better known as “King Kazu” – said he simply wanted to continue playing. “Last season, due to the influence of coronavirus, the world was in a difficult situation but we are happy to be able to play soccer again,” he said.
“I was not satisfied with my performances, but my aspirations and passion for soccer are only increasing. I want to work hard and play more games.”
That might be true, says football journalist Yoichi Igawa, but he believes Kazu is driving himself to play on out of a lingering sense of resentment over an ambition that was shattered more than two decades ago.
“I think it can be traced back to 1998 and the run-up to the World Cup in France,” said Igawa, who covers football for the Japanese sports magazine Number.
“Kazu, who turns 54 on February 26, was the ace striker for the national team and a superstar in Japan, although his form had dropped slightly and he was not quite himself on the pitch,” he said.