Kazuyoshi Miura: How To Extend Your Playing Days — The Soccer Mentor

Kazuyoshi Miura is not what you would call a household name in world football. Yet, he’s probably the most famous, non-famous player currently playing today.

If somebody asked who the oldest footballer player currently playing is, the most popular answers would likely be Zlatan Ibrahimović (39), Gianluigi Buffon (43) and, if you’re a fan of the English Football League, players such as James Coppinger (40) of Doncaster Rovers and, looking even further down the divisions, Jamie Cureton was/is still playing aged 44.

Kazuyoshi Miura, however, has outplayed (or perhaps out-aged) all of them.

Miura’s career began back in 1986, after leaving Japan for the sunny footballing haven of Brazil. Signing his first professional contract with Santos, Kazuyoshi Miura then played for several other clubs in Brazil before moving back to Japan — now as a renown footballing superstar in his homeland — to play for Verdy Kawasaki.

He had a taste of European football with Genoa and then Dynamo Zagreb but returned to Japan to sign for Kyoto Purple Sanga.

Kazuyoshi Miura joined his current side Yokahama FC in 2005 with whom he plays to this day.

At the age of 50, he became the oldest professional footballer to score a goal (2017).

At age 54, Kazuyoshi Miura is still playing.

But…how?

Kazuyoshi Miura clearly isn’t like the majority of footballers.

It’s certainly unusual to be playing professional football aged 54, but there are a few things that could be argued to be working in his favour.

For example, he’s not playing in a league as intense as, say, the Premier League, Bundesliga or another European division.

But that would be somewhat belittling his achievements. Kazuyoshi Miura owes his continuity in the game to two things.

One is, naturally, an impeccable physical self-care routine. It takes huge amounts of self discipline to remain in a good enough physical condition to compete at a professional football level aged 54, as well as a burning passion for the game.

Miura has himself spoken about his desire to continue playing, and in an interview with FIFA said, ‘I have been able to do this because I have put all my energy into football every single year’.

But whilst Kazuyoshi Miura may be a slightly extreme example of the idea that age is just a number in football, there are several players who continue to rack up the minutes across Europe’s top leagues into their late thirties.

Why do footballers tend to retire so early?

Despite ‘anomalies’ in terms of retirement age such as Miura, most professional footballers will retire around the age of 35.

Some play for longer, some retire earlier. However, 35 is a safe general average.

Retirement is an individual decision, and there is no blanket reason why footballers retire so early compared to other professions.

However, cricket players and rugby players do tend to retire around the same age as football players so they are not out of line with sporting industry norms, so to speak.

In fact, footballers should be commended for retiring around the same age as other athletes.

Sometimes playing up to 50 matches a season or running on average ten kilometers per game, is no mean feat.

Similarly, the intensity of professional football matches is very high, and injuries sustained over the course of a career can make playing beyond around 35 unviable.

In short, it’s hard to keep that fit, for that long.

Is it ever too late to get back into football?

Some people feel that, come a certain age, they are simply too old to get back into football — whether that’s as a professional or amateur player.

Players are firstly put off by age itself, and don’t feel fit enough or confident enough to play once the proverbial beer belly begins to set in.

Sometimes, ex professionals are worried that they will ruin their existing reputation by getting back into the game.

In truth, these things can occur — especially with ex-professionals. But a player’s love for the beautiful game should be all the motivation that somebody needs to lace their boots back up.

A passion and desire (think Kazuyoshi Miura) for football should be all you need to re-cross the white line.

Besides, in the modern day, there are so many different versions of football available to play.

Whether it’s a five-a-side league on a weeknight with your workmates, a ‘proper’ team in the local Saturday league, futsal, disability football, walking football or age-group specific football like over 50s football, there will be something for you.

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And, if you can’t find quite what you’re looking for in your local area, why not start something up yourself?

So, is age just a number?

Think Ronaldo. Think Ryan Giggs. Think Maldini. Buffon. Ibrahimović. Iniesta. Barzagli.

All great players, and all playing — in superb physical condition — well into their thirties.

As proved by Kazuyoshi Miura, age is just a number in football as long as a player conditions themselves correctly.

When you look at Cristiano Ronaldo, this is blatantly evident, but any player who is nearing 40 and is still scoring goals, making tackles or saves, or dominating the midfield is undoubtedly taking care of their body.

Take Zlatan Ibrahimović, for example.

Aged 39, the Swede is still scoring goals, and journalist Guillem Balague explained that Zlatan eats ‘fruit and vegetables and only white meat. Pizzas are reward, no sugar. He does a little bit of taekwondo too’.

Footballers can’t play forever, especially given the ever-increasing standard of football at the very top level.

But thanks to the equally growing understanding of sports science, nutrition and psychology, it’s possible that the average retirement age of footballers could increase in the next few years.

After all, who wants Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi to retire? Not us, that’s for sure!

Originally published at https://thesoccermentor.com on March 12, 2021.