Cristiano Ronaldo reassured Juventus supporters and his legions of fans worldwide that at 34 he's not ready for retirement yet.
"Age is just a number. It does not mean that at 34, 35, 36 you are at the end of your career," Ronaldo said at a news conference ahead of Juventus' Champions League match against Lokomotiv Moscow on Tuesday.
"I can show that with my performances, how I play, the way I play, the way I still feel good, sharp, thinking about the game, more mature. This makes the difference."
In the second season of a four-year deal at Juventus, Ronaldo had sparked concern among his fans when he said in an interview published a few weeks ago that he was starting to enjoy seeing himself "outside of football, so who knows what will happen in the next year or two?"
"The most important is the collective awards. If you win the collective awards you have more chance to win the individual awards. ... The Golden Ball is for me in second place."