Featured Image Credit: YouTube
Topics: Kazuyoshi Miura, Football
Adnan Riaz
Kazuyoshi Miura, who is the world’s oldest professional footballer in history, has pleasantly surprised fans with his ability after a stunning compilation emerged of him at 55 years old.
Former Japan striker Miura, AKA ‘King Kazu,’ has entered into the fifth decade of his longstanding club playing career after signing on loan for Portuguese side Oliveirense.
The 56-year-old Japanese player is the only active footballer who appeared on FIFA Soccer 96, which was only the third entry in the long-running gaming franchise.
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Japan legend ‘Kazu’ started his career in 1986 with Brazilian side Santos, with the world’s oldest player going on to play for the likes of Dinamo Zagreb, Vissel Kobe and Genoa.
And the Yokohama loanee also represented Japan in international football with 89 appearances and scored 55 times, despite never featuring at a World Cup.
Despite his cult-like status in football, not many fans have seen what Miura is like on the pitch in his old age… until one fan recently uploaded a compilation of him playing.
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The compilation of ‘King Kazu,’ which was uploaded on YouTube last month, went viral and received 2.5m views at the time of writing.
And fans were equally surprised to see how ‘King Kazu,’ then 55 years old in the footage, performed on the pitch and praised him for his “wild” ability to still play football.
“Age doesn’t matter to this dude. I’ve seen him once and couldn’t believe how well he plays. LEGEND,” one fan posted.
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While another commented: “His first touch and dribbling must be so incredibly instinctual… and sheer experience probably gives him an entire arsenal of things to do in any situation.”
“He still has the stamina that I don’t even have any more in my 20s,” a third added.
A fourth wrote: “This is the first time I seen him play after hearing about him for [a] few years and my God [he is] quick for his age and good at holding up the ball.”
Someone else said: “To me, it’s his ability to cross powerful high crosses... at this age, it’s super hard to do this, huge respect.”
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And one fan added: “Professional football match fitness at 55 is wild... Freakishly impressive!”