Denmark are out of the 2022 World Cup, but Milan defender Simon Kjaer is confident it won’t be his last experience at this level. ‘My mindset is I want to play for another 10 years.’
The 33-year-old only played the opening fixture for his country in Qatar, a 0-0 draw with Tunisia, followed by defeats to France and Australia with the centre-back on the bench due to muscular problems.
The Danes finished bottom of their group and crashed out of the tournament straight away, a far cry from their semi-final run at EURO 2020.
“We are disappointed, as we had high expectations, just like everyone at home,” Kjaer told reporters after the 1-0 loss to Australia.
However, when he was asked if this was his final game in a World Cup competition, the man who will turn 34 in March was bullish in his response.
“That is up to my body,” he replied. “I see players aged 39 in this round, so why shouldn’t I be able to do that too? My mindset is I want to play for another 10 years. Finding motivation has never been a problem for me and never will be.
“Unfortunately, I was unable to play against Australia due to my thigh. I had tests yesterday and the response was not anywhere near good enough.”
It means Kjaer will now have a brief vacation before resuming training with Milan, ahead of the Serie A return to the field on January 4.