Pele may be the eternal king of football, but all the way in Japan there is another king, and one that has been around for a long time. He is very well known and beloved by all the Asian bookies and football fans in japan, His playing career started before anyone else in the national team was born and is still going strong. After all, he is going to play in Europe once again. His name is Kazuyoshi Miura, but people call him King Kazu.
The Man
Miura quit school in 1982 and, at the age of 15, set off on his own to Brazil, where he eventually found work as a professional player. Brazil was the ideal destination for him to feed his football appetite because Japan did not have a professional league at the time.
Miura received his first professional contract with Santos four years later. Before returning to Japan in 1990, he played for various Brazilian clubs, including Palmeiras and Coritiba. By 1990 there were rumours of a professional league in Japan, and Kazu, with his experience in Brazil, was the perfect face for the new national league.
King Kazu moved back to Japan in 1990 to play semi-professionally, and signed with the club that would one day become Verdy Kawasaki, and after a while he was called to join the Japanese national team for the first time.
A rising star
His first major tournament with the national team was the 1992 Asian Cup (AFC), which was being hosted by Japan that year, a precursor tournament before having a professional league and a perfect opportunity to show that they were ready to join the world stage.
He officially joined Verdy Kawasaki in 1993, a year after the J-League was established, and quickly established himself as a star. He scored 118 goals in 197 appearances for the team, with a loan stint at Genoa wedged in between.
After struggling during a brief stay at Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia (12 games without a goal), he returned to Japan with Kyoto Sanga and Vissel Kobe. But in 2005, he joined Yokohoma FC and has stayed there ever since, realizing that this was his true home.
The team has benefited from his presence even though he has struggled to score goals in the last few seasons of his career, scoring just 27 goals in roughly 300 appearances, but the legend was an inspiration to the team and greatly helped boost morale.
The Legend
At the age of 55, the former Japan international rewrote his own record as the oldest active professional footballer in October of last year. After signing a loan agreement, he came off the bench to make the historical appearance for Suzuka Point Getters in the fourth division.
And that’s not all. At 56, the Japanese hero played for Oliveirense in Portugal’s second division. This is an impressive track record. With 37 years of experience in the field, King Kazu would already be considered a legend due to his staying power alone, let alone his skill, and you do not survive for this long on the pitch without skill.
According to some, Kazu will play until he is 60, a feat that has never been accomplished before. If Kazu has his way, he will “die on the pitch.” We can only hope that this does not happen after all and he is able to retire peacefully in a few years, after adding some more goals to his name.
Football and Sports Betting
Soccer legends like this should always be on the minds of those who enjoy betting, and choosing a bookmaker that offers the best possible betting package is the ideal option for top bettors. One of the best options you can find in the market right now is BET-IBC. With over 16 years of experience and thousands of clients all around the world, this betting broker has climbed to the top position in the market, and seeing the quality of services they offer it is easy to see why.
And speaking of high quality services, we need to mention their top product and what may be the best betting platform in the market, VIP-IBC. This awesome platform not only gives you access to offers from many top rated bookies with a single account, but also allows you to compare odds so you can always choose the best. It is definitely worth checking out, especially if you work arbitrage.
If you are a fan of sports betting, especially in football, consider registering for an account at a betting software so you can support your team and have fun while doing it. Let’s hope for all the best to King Kazu. May his reign last much longer, and may he score many goals at Oliveirense. Long live the king!
