Alessandro Del Piero not ready to call time on his career just yet after leaving Australian side Sydney FC

Italian World Cup winner says he plans to play on after completing a two year spell in Australia

Agency
Monday 04 August 2014 12:44 BST
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Alessandro Del Piero insists he wants to play on after leaving Syndey FC
Alessandro Del Piero insists he wants to play on after leaving Syndey FC

Alessandro Del Piero has quashed talk of him retiring and insisted he wants to carry on playing for at least one more season.

The 39-year-old recently completed a two-year spell in Australia with Sydney, playing his last competitive match in April, but he will return to captain them in the A-League All Stars clash with Juventus on Sunday.

With little to no news on his future many expected Del Piero, who won several Serie A and Champions League titles during a glittering 19-year spell in Turin, to make the one-off match his swansong.

But the 2006 World Cup winner said that, although Sunday's fixture may be his last match in Australia, he is open to offers.

"I don't think so," he said when reporters asked if this could be his last game. "It could be my last game in Australia. My plan is to play on. Now I have to choose what is the best for me with the opportunities I have but I want to play on."

He added: "I'm in good shape to play on again, to play for one more year. And this is my idea.

"At the end of the day it's not an easy moment for me to understand what is best to do because I have more options coming for outside the pitch rather than on the pitch.

"After this game I will sit with my family, my manager, everyone and I will decide what is the best for me and, I hope, play on."

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