TOKYO — Aging Japanese footballer Kazuyoshi Miura has reached another milestone in his professional career.
The veteran striker, who plays for J-League second division club Yokohama, appeared in a professional match at the age of 50 years and 7 days to beat former England international Stanley Matthews’ longevity record.
Miura told FIFA.com in comments published Tuesday: “I don’t actually feel like I’ve gone past a legend. I may have surpassed him in longevity but I won’t ever be able to match his statistics and the career he had.”
Miura played 54 minutes in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with V-Varen Nagasaki, enough to move past the record Matthews set when he played for Stoke City against Fulham at the age of 50 years and 5 days in 1965.
Miura played for Brazilian club Santos and in Italy with Genoa earlier in his career, and represented Japan’s national team 89 times, scoring 55 goals, but never played at the World Cup.
