Story highlights Yokohama forward Miura inks new deal just ahead of his 51st birthday

Storied career took 'King Kazu' around the world in a -- so far -- 33 year-long journey

Tokyo (CNN) He started his career back when Ronald Reagan was President, Mike Tyson heavyweight champion, and Liverpool won the English league. Now the world's oldest soccer player has extended that remarkable run.

Kazuyoshi Miura -- know to his fans in Japan as "King Kazu" -- has signed a contract extension with his club, second-tier J-League Yokohama F.C. just weeks ahead of his 51st birthday.

Yokohama announced that Miura had renewed his contract for the 2018 season -- which will take him into his 33rd professional season -- on Thursday. Last year Kazu played 12 games for Yokohama in the J2 league; scoring a solitary goal.

Miura, who was already the world's oldest player when he signed a contract in 2015 , said that despite his vintage, he looked at the extension as an opportunity to improve as a professional soccer player.

"I could safely renew my contract this season again," he said, following the announcement.

Read More</s>YOKOHAMA, Japan — One of the longest careers in soccer has been extended after 50-year-old striker Kazuyoshi Miura renewed his contract with second-division J-League club Yokohama FC on Thursday.

Miura, who will turn 51 on Feb. 26, will enter his 33rd season this year.

Miura played in 12 league games last year and scored one goal, breaking his own record as the J-League's oldest scorer.

Miura joined Yokohama FC in 2005 and became the oldest player to appear in a professional match at the age of 50 years and seven days last March, catching global media attention by surpassing England legend Stanley Matthews' longevity record.</s>YOKOHAMA, Japan -- One of the longest careers in soccer has been extended after 50-year-old striker Kazuyoshi Miura renewed his contract with second-division J-League club Yokohama FC on Thursday.

Miura, who will turn 51 on Feb. 26, will enter his 33rd season this year.

Miura played in 12 league games last year and scored one goal, breaking his own record as the J-League's oldest scorer.

Miura joined Yokohama FC in 2005 and became the oldest player to appear in a professional match at the age of 50 years and seven days last March, catching global media attention by surpassing England legend Stanley Matthews' longevity record.

Nicknamed "King Kazu," 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.</s>Known in Japan as "King Kazu," Japanese football player Kazuyoshi Miura had his contract extended for one more season with his hometown football club Yokohama on Thursday.

"I will always play my heart out and hope to continue to grow [as a player]," Miura told the Kyodo news agency. The J-League legend wants to retire in 9 years' time, when he turns 60.

Miura became the world's oldest pro player in 2017, surpassing the previous professional longevity record set by English legend Stanley Matthews.

The forward, who turns 51 next month, kicked off his lengthy career at the age of 15, when he traveled to Brazil to become a professional footballer there. In 1986, Miura received his first professional contract with Santos FC. After playing for several clubs in Brazil, he returned to Japan in the early nineties, where his career peaked.</s>YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) - One of the longest careers in soccer has been extended after 50-year-old striker Kazuyoshi Miura renewed his contract with second-division J-League club Yokohama FC on Thursday.

Miura, who will turn 51 on Feb. 26, will enter his 33rd season this year.

Miura played in 12 league games last year and scored one goal, breaking his own record as the J-League's oldest scorer.

In this Feb. 26, 2017 photo, Kazuyoshi Miura (11) scores a goal during a J-League soccer match against Matsumoto Yamaga, in Yokohama, near Tokyo. One of the longest careers in soccer has been extended after 50-year-old striker Miura renewed his contract with second-division J-League club Yokohama FC on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2018. Miura, who will turn 51 on Feb. 26, will enter his 33rd season this year. Miura played in 12 league games last year and scored one goal, breaking his own record as the J-League's oldest scorer. (Yohei Fukai/Kyodo News via AP)

Miura joined Yokohama FC in 2005 and became the oldest player to appear in a professional match at the age of 50 years and seven days last March, catching global media attention by surpassing England legend Stanley Matthews' longevity record.

Nicknamed "King Kazu," 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.</s>Former Japan striker Kazuyoshi Miura, who will turn 51 next month, renewed his contract with Yokohama FC on Thursday, extending his record as the oldest player in the J-League.

The golden oldie, admiringly nicknamed "King Kazu" for his spirited grit and style, will kick off his 33rd career season this year after a stunning 2017 in which he surpassed the previous professional longevity record set by England legend Stanley Matthews.

Miura also became the oldest player to score a competitive goal in a professional match last year, another record held previously by Matthews.

"I was able to renew the contract this season too," Miura said in a brief statement issued by the second-division Yokohama FC.

"At all time, I hope to grow by fully facing football with all of my strength."

Miura shot to fame in the early 1990s, becoming Asia's best-known footballer and helping to put the Japanese game on the map after the professional J-League was launched in 1993.

He blazed a trail for Japanese players in Europe when he joined Italy's Genoa in 1994, and scored 55 goals in 89 games for Japan.

Miura has said he wants to play on until he's 60.</s>Kazuyoshi Miura -- know to his fans in Japan as "King Kazu" -- has signed a contract extension with his club, second-tier J-League Yokohama F.C. just weeks ahead of his 51st birthday.

Yokohama announced that Miura had renewed his contract for the 2018 season -- which will take him into his 33rd professional season -- on Thursday. Last year Kazu played 12 games for Yokohama in the J2 league; scoring a solitary goal.

Miura, who was already the world's oldest player when he signed a contract in 2015 , said that despite his vintage, he looked at the extension as an opportunity to improve as a professional soccer player.

"I could safely renew my contract this season again," he said, following the announcement.

"I will always play with the football with all my might and hope to grow as a player." Miura celebrates his 50th birthday with fans in February 2017, after the opening match of the season against Matsumoto Yamaga in Yokohama. The forward's record-breaking career began as a 19-year-old with Brazilian club Santos in 1986 -- spanning more than 30 years and taking on club soccer for 13 different teams across South America, Europe, Australia and Asia. He managed an impressive 55 goals in 89 appearances for Japan, notching 14 in qualifying as he fired his country to the 1998 World Cup Finals in France. World body FIFA, celebrating the landmark contract, noted that the Japanese ace was also part of the squad which won the AFC Asian Cup back in 1992. 💪A month shy of 51 and still signing new contracts!



🇯🇵Kazuyoshi Miura is set to continue his record-breaking career with another season at Yokohama FC!



👑Incredibly, 'King Kazu' was part of the side which won @jfa_samuraiblue's first ever @afcasiancup... back in 1992! pic.twitter.com/osaU0OUSmL — FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) January 11, 2018 logs that -- so far -- he's played 36,932 minutes across his career, scoring 162 goals. According to the page, he's received 29 yellow cards, but never a red. counter on his website logs that -- so far -- he's played 36,932 minutes across his career, scoring 162 goals. According to the page, he's received 29 yellow cards, but never a red. As he embarks on another year on the pitch, he will potentially line up alongside players who were not even born when he first started his professional career. Yokohama's new signing, South Korean international Yun Il-lok, was born in 1992, some six years after Miura first pulled his boots on for Santos. Midfielder Kaina Yoshio, on the Yokohama roster for the 2017 season, was born in 1998 -- making him over thirty years younger than King Kazu. Correction: An earlier version of this story contained an error in the spelling of Kazuyoshi Miura's name and club.</s>The noun veteran is used for professionals who have achieved greatness in the career and have either crossed retirement or are nearing it. But Japan boasts of a veteran footballer who seems to be far from retirement. Kazuyoshi Miura, seems not to want to retire even at the age of 51. The footballer recently extended his contract with his club, second-tier J-League Yokohama FC, just weeks ahead of his 51st birthday.

He began playing football at the age of 19, when Ronald Reagan was President, Mike Tyson was a heavyweight champion, and Liverpool won the English league. He may be the oldest football player in the world still kicking the ball on the field, but he is lovingly called King Kazu by his fans.

Miura’s extension in 2018 means the star footballer will be playing the sport even longer. This marks his 33rd professional season. Last year Kazu played 12 games for Yokohama in the J2 league and even scoring a solitary goal.

Despite being the oldest player in the world, he is still humble enough to say he wants to get better at his trade, "I will always play with the football with all my might and hope to grow as a player,” said the player after the club’s announcement.

In his career spanning over 30 years, he has played for 13 different clubs across South America, Europe, Australia and Asia. His stats stand at 55 goals in 89 appearances for Japan, notching 14 in qualifying as he fired his country to the 1998 World Cup Finals in France. He was even part of the team that won AFC Asian Cup back in 1992. Having clocked 36,932 minutes on field, scoring 162 goals, his career red card is still awaited.</s>Japanese Striker Kazuyoshi Miura, who turns 51 next month, has signed a new contract with Japanese second division club Yokohama FC.

The deal means the striker will enter the 33rd season of his record-breaking career, which began at the Brazilian side Santos in 1986.

The former Genoa and Dinamo Zagreb player has been at Yokohama since 2005.

Speaking to reporters after signing the new contract the world’s oldest player in the history of the sport said: “I will always play my heart out and hope to continue to grow (as a player).”

Capped 89 times for his country, Miura’s 139 goals place him sixth in the all-time list of top scorers in J-League’s top division.</s>Have your say

Fifty-year-old former Japan forward Kazuyoshi Miura is set for a 33rd season as a player.

Miura, who won 89 senior national team caps, has been given a contract for 2018 by second-tier club Yokohama FC.

The club announced the news on their website on Thursday.

Miura joined Yokohama in 2005 at the age of 38, having earlier in his career played for Italian side Genoa and Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb.

He moved to Brazil as a 15-year-old and signed his first professional contract with Santos.

He played in the inaugural J.League season in 1993 for Verdy Kawasaki when he beat foreign imports Gary Lineker and Zico to the Most Valuable Player of the season prize.
The world's oldest professional football player, 51-year-old Kazuyoshi Miura ("King Kazu"), has extended his contract with Yokohama FC, to take him into his 33rd professional season.