Ghana midfielder Stephen Appiah has responded passionately to requests from his homeland for him to retire, insisting "I will play until I'm 50 years old".
Appiah, 29, has struggled with injuries in recent years and spent more than 12 months without a club after leaving Turkish side Fenerbahce in 2008.Reported by Pakistan Times
He joined Bologna in November 2009, but injuries meant he only played two Serie A games, before captaining Ghana at the World Cup in the absence of Michael Essien.
Appiah has come under intense pressure in Ghana to retire because of his injury problems, but he has come out fighting and believes he is more than capable of continuing for many years to come.
"There are a lot of wonders in the world," Appiah told Adom FM. "Ten years back, I thought at age 32 one should retire but in football nowadays players quit at 36 and 38 years.
"It all depends on how you manage yourself and when Paolo Maldini was 41 he was playing better than those at 25. People ask me when I will retire but I tell them I will play until I'm 50 years old."
Sources: www.soccernet.espn.go.com
