Ageless King Kazu raises major question on future of Premier League retirements

The year is 1986. Ronald Reagan is President of the United States as the Iran-Contra Scandal erupts and Cold War tensions with the USSR continue to simmer, while across the Atlantic, Margaret Thatcher resides behind the famous black door of Number 10 Downing Street. Cinema-goers have spent the summer being wowed by the slow motion volleyball and mild militaristic propaganda of Tom Cruise blockbuster Top Gun, and in the charts, Madonna and Bon Jovi reign supreme, while the Beastie Boys have bloodied the nose of decency with the release of their gloriously obnoxious debut album Licensed To Ill. Michael Jordan is smashing records like a Chicago Bull in a china shop, the Mexican World Cup belongs entirely to a magical street urchin by the name of Diego Armando Maradona, and at Christmas, kids across the country are going absolutely feral for Transformers.

Somewhere in the midst of all of that a Japanese teenager called Kazuyoshi Miura - an intrepid, prodigious youth who left high school at the age of 15 to pursue a career as a professional footballer in South America - makes his debut for legendary Brazilian club Santos. This week, a little over 37 years later, he put pen to paper on a new contract that will ensure he is still playing the beautiful game well past his 57th birthday... at least.

For the longest while now, Miura has garnered a near-mythical renown as the world’s oldest professional footballer. Born on February 26th 1967 in the Shizuoka Prefecture, it is hard to think of any other player who comes even remotely close to his admirable 56 years of age. After flitting about in Brazil for a half a decade, he returned to Japan, embarked on a prolific spell with Verdy Kawasaki, earned a move to Europe, promptly earned a move back to his home country a season later, and since 2005 has been on the books at Yokohama FC - with the exception of the odd loan deal here and there.

Oh, and he managed to cram in 55 goals in 89 senior international caps between 1990 and the turn of the millennium too - some 23 years ago. There is a reason why he is affectionately referred to as ‘King Kazu’ by an army of doting, awestruck followers. But contrary to the proclamation - and indeed logic, reason, and medical science - the king is absolutely, unequivocally not dead; in fact, he’s not even showing any signs of slowing down... Long live the king.

Kazu, as he is most commonly known, has just agreed an extension to his current temporary stint with Portuguese second tier outfit Oliveirense - owned by the same money wranglers as parent club Yokohama - and he looks set to stay on the Iberian peninsula for an undisclosed duration. (Previously, he has spoken about his desire to play until he is 60, a personal milestone he will reach in 2027.)

There are, of course, those who question whether there is any genuine merit to Kazu’s elongated sojourn, or whether it is in essence a overly-milked publicity stunt, more self-serving twilight than team-serving highlights. There is certainly an argument to be answered in that regard. Miura has played just 28 minutes of football this year, spread across three separate substitute appearances. In his most recent outing, the forward was named man of the match on the final day of the Portuguese season after a 26-minute cameo in a 4-3 win over Leixoes. A disgruntled opposition manager labelled the decision as ‘offensive’ and suggested that it turned the contest into a ‘circus’.

But allegations of clownery and pageantry aside, Kazu persists. And the manner in which he insists upon defying the rigours of nature gets you to thinking about the general trends of aging in football. At the time of writing, 38-year-old Ashley Young is edging ever closer to joining Everton on a free transfer. Earlier in the week, Leonardo Bonucci emerged as a potential transfer target for Newcastle United at the age of 36. Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, two of the greatest to ever play the game, look set to lengthen their glittering careers well into their late 30s with runs in the Saudi Pro League and MLS respectively.

Obviously, these are isolated case studies, but they do illustrate a broader point. It feels as if footballers are retiring later and later, squeezing out more and more longevity from a career that traditonally used to gradually dim after a player’s 30th birthday.

It makes sense that would be the case; with sport scientists and personal chefs and all manner of other employed experts dedicated to the wellbeing of a professional athlete, footballers have never been better looked after than they are right now. If they weren’t thriving, all of that excess frippery would be pointless, and entire industries would implode.

But as professionals march further and further on into the future, you have to wonder where things will begin to plateau. In 20 years time, will it be the norm for players to keep bursting nets and doling out reducers until they are 40? Or 45, even? Like a Cosmopolitan article on the virtues of a new miracle hyaluronic acid serum, do we have to ask if 60 is the new 50?

Fittingly, only time will tell, but one thing is undeniably sure; it’s going to be a hell of a while before we see anybody in the Premier League lining up with a 56-year-old spearheading the attack. Like it or not, King Kazu is remarkable.