It's been speculated that Cristiano Ronaldo will leave the comforts of Real Madrid for the MLS when his contract is up in 2015, but the 30-year-old striker has admitted to having different plans.
“I want to win more. I still feel good, I feel young,” he told Marca. “I am 30 and I want to play five or six more years, and in that time I want to do things right and maintain the level of recent seasons. I know that it gets harder all the time, but in my head I think it’s possible."
Ronaldo has been rumored to be a target of David Beckham's Miami MLS venture and also Los Angeles FC, but his heart, apparently, is still with Real Madrid.
“I want to win and I’m at the best club in the world. Obviously I have a contract up to 33, and as I have said many times my dream was to finish here at Real Madrid, because I feel good, I feel useful, and I want to continue," Ronaldo said.
Ronaldo is approaching the age where players start having their games managed, stop being the focal point of game plans and either accept a role as a squad player or move to America, Qatar, India, China, etc. Ronaldo, obviously, is a special case, but father time is undefeated, as much as Ronaldo would like for that not to be the case.
“At the moment I don’t feel any different from when I was 25. Many people say that from 30 you start to decline, but I don’t share that view — if you look after yourself, you train well, you do not grow old overnight, it happens slowly. If you look after yourself and do things right, you can reach 40. I have the desire and motivation to continue," Ronaldo said.
We certainly hope he plays until he's 40. He's entertaining as hell and unquestionably one of the best players in the world. But Real Madrid have high standards, and he's already showing signs of slowing down. We'll see how this goes.
(H/T The Guardian)
Contact The18 Staff Writer Sam Klomhaus at Klomhaus@The18.com or follow him on Twitter @SamKlomhaus
