Chris Burke admits he'd hate to retire without fans to clap him off.
The veteran Kilmarnock winger has yet to be offered a new deal, but he hinted he'd be playing on for another year – which would make him 38.
But despite his age, he stills feel as good as he did when he was playing as a youngster.
Killie are yet to sort out player contracts with all but four expiring at the end of the season but the club are waiting until Premiership survival is secured before tying down their stars – with a trip to Motherwell today offering an opportunity to inch closer to safety.
He said: "There’s no pressure on them [Kilmarnock] to offer me anything and I think it’s only fair that they wait until they discover which division we’ll be in.
“For me, it doesn’t matter: the most important thing is for us to keep this club in the Premiership and then push on again next season. If you perform well then teams will want you but, at the same time, if you’re enjoying your football here then it doesn’t matter whether you’re offered a deal now or in three games’ time, the player’s decision will be the same. I don’t think another month will make any difference.
“Personally, I’m looking for a six-year contract!
"Seriously, the first thing I want to do is to play again next season and that’s an important decision when you reach my age.
"I’m still enjoying it, I still love football and still play like I’m a little kid on the park with my mates.
“I work hard every day for the team and this team has been great for me. I’m a Kilmarnock supporter, although I wasn’t when I first arrived. But they’re part of me now, like family.
"We’ll have to wait and see what happens because you never know in football but would I like to play for this club longer? Of course I would but I also have to respect their decision.
“To be honest, there are other players who are more important than me as far as the future of this football club is concerned so I’d rather they had their deals sorted out before me."
Burke added: "How long will I keep playing? That’s the great unknown.
“For now, I’ll do it year by year. I already assess my body every six months and I feel fine but I strongly feel that players should be judged by how they perform on the pitch rather than by how old they are.
“If you asked people watching me play how old I was then I don’t think they would say I looked like a 37-year-old.
"Everyone tells me to play for as long as I possibly can and that’s the ambition but you never know what’s around the corner, an opportunity might arise in a different area and you just hang up the boots.
“One thing driving me on is that I really don’t want to end my career playing in an empty ground, that’s for sure. I want to end it by being clapped off the pitch – not booed off – by the fans, with my family there to see me. So we’ll maybe say one more year and then take it from there.”
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