Veteran star Kazuyoshi Miura broke yet another age-related record on Wednesday when the 53-year-old wonder became the oldest-ever player to appear in a match in the YBC Levain Cup, the J.League's interleague tournament.
Facing players half his age, Miura took the field as a starter for Yokohama FC in a preliminary group match against Sagan Tosu at 53 years 5 months 10 days, well eclipsing the previous record of 42 years 10 months set in May 2017 by Ventforet Kofu's Yukio Tsuchiya.
The match at Ekimae Real Estate Stadium in Tosu, Saga Prefecture, marked the first appearance in an official match this season for Miura, better known as "King Kazu." Wearing his usual No. 11 and the captain's armband, he played at the front of a two-striker attack.
"I wanted my teammates to see how I can still fight," Miura said.
Soon after kickoff, he made a harsh tackle on an opponent, then had the highlight of the day about the 30-minute mark, when he launched himself high for a strong header off a teammate's cross. While the keeper made the save on that shot, he maintained a presence in front of goal throughout his stint.
When he came off for a substitute in the 63rd minute, it was to a hearty applause from the crowd.
Yokohama won 1-0 to even its Group C record to 1-1 in the competition, which was started in 1992 and was previously called the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup.
"It's been a long time since I appeared in an official match, so I took the pitch with the notion to get the win and lead us in the right direction," Miura said.
Miura expressed his gratitude for being able to play again after the period of self-restraint from the coronavirus pandemic had curtailed his actitivies.
"While so many people are going through tough times, we are able to play soccer in front of fans," he said. "I have to think, 'This is real happiness.'"
Yokohama FC manager Takahiro Shimotaira, whose squad is in the midst of a four-match losing streak in league matches, inserted the veteran into the starting lineup in an attempt to fire up the team.
"He had a good impact on the team," Shimotaira said. "He deserves respect just by being able to keep running at 53."
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