Toni Kroos plans to retire at Real Madrid

13 October 2016 02:23

Midfielder Toni Kroos says he plans to retire at Real Madrid after signing a new long-term contract extension.

The club announced on Wednesday that the 26-year-old Germany international had agreed a new deal through to 2022, and he faced the media to discuss the development on Thursday.

"My plan is to retire here," he told reporters at a press conference.

"I don't sign contracts on a whim. It's a six-year deal and I'm committed to playing each of those six years here.

"I'll be 32 when it finishes and it's a great opportunity to finish my career here. I can't see myself playing as a 36-year-old.

"I want to win the league here. It's important to us. At Real Madrid you have to win everything. I've won the Champions League but I want the league. Sometimes we lack consistency and that's perhaps why we haven't won it.

"I'm very happy. Since my first day here I've really felt welcome here. The love from the fans has been very special too. It's also really nice that they value me so much that they announced the deal on a national holiday."

The season began perfectly for Real but they have hit trouble recently, drawing four successive matches in all competitions prior to the international break.

That has inevitably raised questions and criticism about coach Zinedine Zidane, but Kroos was dismissive of that.

"I don't read the papers much and I don't know what's been said, but Zidane is invaluable for the club," he said.

"We've drawn a lot of games, which isn't good, and we deserve criticism. But there have been games that we've drawn that we deserved to win. It's important that we keep playing as a team."

Real continue their quest for a first league title since 2012 with a trip to Seville to take on Real Betis on Saturday night.

Source: PA