“I don’t think it will be long” – Everton star hints at retirement plans, wants to enjoy football ‘as much as possible’

Everton star James Rodriguez has hinted he will be retiring from the game sooner rather than later as he nears his 30^th birthday.

The Colombian star turns 30 this year, by which point he will have been in the game for 14 years, having started at Envigado U20s in 2007.

His contract with Everton runs until 2022, but the Blues have an option to extend that by another year, meaning he can remain at Goodison Park until 2023 if things go to plan.

By that point, he would be 33-years-old and there has been no indication about what he will do going forwards.

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Like many South American stars, it would not be surprising if he returned to his homeland to play out the end of his career, or perhaps return to one of his former clubs.

Whether that happens remains to be seen, but the Everton star has hinted it won’t be long before his career comes to an end.

“I haven’t given it much thought,” he told the Colombian FA.

“I can’t tell you where I would like to retire. I don’t think it will be long because I wouldn’t want to play too old. For now, I want to enjoy it as much as possible.

“I want to learn, to help the young players. This whole crop of players who are almost 30 years old and upwards have less and less time to go.”