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Thirty-four years after his professional debut, Japanese forward Kazuyoshi Miura became the oldest player to appear in a J-League first division match when he led Yokohama FC on Wednesday at the age of 53.
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The player known as “King Kazu”, who began his career in Brazil in 1986 because Japan did not have a professional league to play in, received the captain’s armband, but failed to inspire his team which lost 3-2 to league leaders Kawasaki Frontale.
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Miura did not go on the score sheet and was substituted around the hour before receiving a standing ovation from the 4,700 fans at Todoroki Stadium.
“When I entered the court, I felt a deep desire to do my duty and take advantage of everyone’s feelings in that bracelet,” Miura told Kyodo news agency.
The match was Miura’s first in the Japanese top flight since 2007. Yokohama played in the second division for 12 years before gaining promotion last season.
Miura, who scored 55 goals in 89 games for Japan and played his last international game in 2000, broke the record set by forward Masashi Nakayama, who was 45 when he played for Consadole Sapporo in 2012.
“King Kazu” was not the only veteran on the court on Wednesday with former Japanese and Celtic midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura, 42, also named in Yokohama’s starting lineup.
Source: espn.co.uk
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