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Kazuyoshi Miura, set to turn 59 next month and is the world's oldest professional footballer, has finalized a loan deal until June with J3 League club Fukushima United.

The transfer means Miura might feature in the Japanese professional league - encompassing the highest tiers of football in Japan - for the first time in half a decade.

The former Japan striker, who started his career with the Brazilian club Santos in 1986, failed to score in 69 minutes across seven outings last season while on loan at JFL side Atletico Suzuka.

"My love for the game remains undimmed, regardless of my age," he said as he prepares for a forty-first campaign as a pro footballer.

"I'm very grateful to be given this opportunity. I promise I will play with everything I have to help the team. Let's make history together!"

Referred to as 'King Kazu' in Japan, this will be Miura's fourth temporary move since 2022 from J2 League side Yokohama FC.

Miura, who has also played club football in Italy, Croatia and Australia, joined the club in 2005 but has remained absent from the pitch for them since 2020.

He scored 55 goals in 89 games in an career for the national team that ended in 2000, two years after his surprising exclusion from the squad for Japan's maiden FIFA World Cup campaign.

Miura, who has talked of playing until he is 60, said he was ready to "take on a new challenge" after being demoted last season to the country's lower regional divisions.

Fukushima United finished 10th in the twenty-club third division last season.