Manchester – January 15 (ONLINE): Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo claims that he feels as young as 30 and that the battle for longevity is more mental than physical.
Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo has revealed what his goals are in regards to how long he plans on playing football professionally.
The Portuguese attacker rejoined United last summer, signing a contract until the summer of 2023 but it was unclear whether that will be his last.
However, the 36-year-old insisted he plans on playing for as long as his body can handle, setting an aim of lasting until his early 40s.
“I feel happy to be a player who has shown who, in my case, longevity has been a crucial factor for me to keep playing at a high level, putting in good performances” Ronaldo told ESPN.
“Genetically I feel like I’m 30 years old. I take great care of my body and my mind. Something I’ve learned recently is that after 33, I believe the body can deliver if you need it, but the real battle is mental” he said.
“Going through many things with the focus on the end goal of staying at a high level is the hardest thing, and that’s what I’ve been doing for the last few years. I’ve been working and focusing more on working on my mind.
I know my body will handle me because I have a lot of respect for it and I listen to it a lot.
“Life has to have important moments, for better or for worse, but when you fall you must have the strength to get up. I’m happy, I want to stay here and see what will happen.
“I want to find out if I’m going to play until I’m 40, 41, or 42, but the most important thing is that my daily goal is to enjoy the moment.”
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