ARSENE WENGER admits the prospect of retirement scares him to death.
The Arsenal manager is the oldest boss in the Premier League and celebrates his 67th birthday today.
But he is praying he can stay in the game as long as possible as he reckons he wouldn’t have a clue what to do next.
Wenger said: “Am I frightened of stopping? Yes of course because I’ll miss what I love.
“Nobody lives a whole life by being motivated by the next game, stops suddenly and goes to church every day.
“If God exists, one day I will go up there and he will ask ‘do you want to come in? What have you done in your life?’.
“And the only answer I will have is ‘I tried to win football games.’ He will say ‘is that all you have done?’ and the only answer I will have is ‘it’s not as easy as it looks.’
“I never liked the retirement word. We are there to be active and to fight. Life is no other issue than to fight until the last day of your life as much as you can.”
Wenger is out of contract at the end of the season and has been tipped to take the England job next summer.
For the time being though he admits he has no plans to celebrate his birthday and only victory today against Middlesbrough will put a smile on his face.
He said: “I’ll focus on Middlesbrough and how to win the game. I do not focus on my age.
“The result is 99 per cent of my celebration. I have nothing planned but might watch a game at night.
“Happiness is linked with our last result, not with our birthday. That is what a manager’s life is about.”
But Wenger insists age means nothing and has insisted he is fitter than most his players.
He said: “Do I feel like an OAP? Not at all. If you lived with me everyday you would understand that I am not like that.
“I train every day. Running? I do everything. If all professional footballers lived like I do they would be fit for all 10 months of the season.
“I run outside of training. I have my ritual preparation for the game, the same as the players.
“Since I was a kid I have loved competition. I wanted to compete always.
“I don’t know where it comes from, but I have had it since I was a kid and I will die like that.”
Chelsea are also looking at former midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who is currently managing Italian club…
City have hit form at the right time and are looking in ominous mood, clawing…
McFarlane’s move into senior management came earlier this season following the exit of Enzo Maresca....
"Liam has always conducted himself with the highest integrity and professionalism following...
The workshop highlights the growing efforts by regional and continental football bodies to accelerate the…
His comments followed a performance in which Chelsea struggled to impose themselves....
This website uses cookies.