Andrea Pirlo has rejected claims that he has already decided that the 2017 season will be his last.
The Italian midfielder has taken no decision on his future beyond the upcoming campaign but has warned players coming to MLS that there are no easy rides.
Pirlo emphasized that he will stay in the game when he finally does decide to bring his storied career to a close but he is full of motivation for his 22nd season as a professional player, describing the game as his life.
"On the pitch it is serious, if someone is looking for an easy ride, they are in the wrong place, Andrea told Italian newspaper La Repubblica.
"Football here is constantly growing - it has already become the third sport after basketball and American football, with a high number of players including children and women.
"It is my last season? We'll see. For now I have this and I want to enjoy it. I hope to finish well, then I'll see how I feel.
"I confirm that when I stop, I will stay in football. I still have a lot of passion, I like to watch it and talk about it, I’m not nauseated or saturated by it.
"It's the thing I do best. I do not know in what role [after playing]: sporting director, coach, who knows? Nobody can understand it beforehand.
"Almost all my former teammates have now stopped training and I am so very passionate. Football is my life."
Anyone who follows Andrea on social media will know how seamlessly he’s taken to life in New York City.
The 37-year old called the city “the center of the world” and revealed that living in Chelsea gives him energy and enthusiasm.
Pirlo said: “It gives you great energy and enthusiasm, you open many possibilities – it’s a unique atmosphere.
“Chelsea is my neighborhood where there are many art galleries, the High Line which is an elevated park under the house, as well as the Hudson riverfront.
“I went to see the US Open and the NBA at Madison Square Garden. The American approach to their sport is more relaxed, with not so much coverage in the newspapers or broadcasts on TV which are too critical.
“I finish the game and then I’m at peace until the week after.”
