Famous Swedish professional footballer and AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has recently shared his thoughts on the prospects of ending his football career.
During an appearance on ESPN’s The Gab & Juls Show, Ibrahimovic noted that he is "close to the goal line", although he is yet to cross it.
"I am a little bit panicking, because when it stops, what do you do, what is the next chapter?" he said. "I know there is a lot of possibilities, I know you can do a lot of things, offers I will have from all over the place. But, like I said, the adrenaline I get on the field, I will never get that in something else".
Therefore, the footballer explained, he is trying to “postpone that goalie line”.
At the same time, Ibrahimovic noted that he wants to be able to feel good when he plays, and “it makes no sense to play the game if you suffer too much”, so one should be realistic and know when it is time to call it quits and start a new chapter in life.
"But I’m not there yet", he added. "Because if I already focus on that, it means in my head, I already prepared to stop. So, if I am preparing to stop, I’m not able to help my teammates and I’m not helping myself to achieve what I want. So, in my mind, I’m not there yet".
In March, Ibrahimovic made a similar remark, telling the media that he feels "a slight sense of panic at the prospect of retirement".
"I will certainly keep playing for as long as possible, as long as I can get results and am not suffering”, he said, as quoted by Goal.com. "I want to end my career without regrets, so I have to maximise my time".