Ronaldo says he will still play for Real Madrid after 5-year contract

MADRID (Reuters) – Cristiano Ronaldo’s new five-year contract with Real Madrid which ties him to the Spanish club until the age of 36 will not be his last, he said on Monday.

The 31-year-old forward joined Real in 2009 and is the European champions’ all-time goalscorer with 371 goals in 360 games.

“The numbers are impressive. I certainly never expected to make history at the best club in the world,” the Portugal captain told a news conference.

“This new contract is a dream come true. But this is my penultimate contract.

“I want to end my career at Real. This is the club that is in my heart and I will always be linked to it.”

A three-times world player of the year, Ronaldo has helped Real win one La Liga title, two King’s Cups and two Champions League trophies in seven seasons in Madrid.

“I want to continue to give my best,” he said. “To continue to make history, win titles and score goals.”

Ronaldo is targeting 500 goals for Real.

“It’s possible,” he said. “I’m not going to obsess about it.

Of course, goals are great and I identify myself with that.

The most important thing are titles.”

Ronaldo is short-listed for the world player of the year award again after winning the Champions League with Real in May and captaining Portugal to their first European Championship title.

“This is the best moment of my life,” he said. “To win the Champions League, then win Euro 2016 and sign a new contract with this club, I can’t ask for more. It’s truly special.”

Ronaldo has failed to score in five successive games at the Bernabeu stadium but he has mustered seven goals in 12 appearances this season and he thanked Real president Florentino Perez for his unwavering support.

“Football has no memory, but you (Perez) have a memory and so does Real Madrid and that makes me happy,” he said. “During a career, there are good and bad times but I always want to learn and football teaches you a lot.”

Perez is predicting many more great moments from Ronaldo, who earns about 350,000 pounds ($435,000) a week according to media reports.

“You never give up, you always want more and for that reason you remain in this club,” Perez told Ronaldo. “We know there will be more from you because you never get tired of winning.”

($1 = 0.8048 pounds)

(Reporting by Adriana Garcia, editing by Ed Osmond)