Cristiano Ronaldo signaled his intention to "keep playing for 10 more years" after rounding off a "dream year" by signing a "bumper" new five-year, £365,000 ($453,000)-a-week contract with Real Madrid, according to the London TELEGRAPH. The deal, expected to "protect Ronaldo's status as the world's highest paid footballer," will keep him tied to the club until he is 36. Ronaldo: "What I most want is to continue enjoying the years I have left to play. I still have 10 years (ahead)." He insisted this "will be his penultimate contract." The three-time World Player of the Year "has enjoyed his most successful year at a collective level, scoring the winning penalty" as Real Madrid won the Champions League for an 11th time in May before captaining Portugal to its first major tournament win at Euro 2016. Ronaldo "has failed to score in five successive games" at home but he has "mustered seven goals in 12 appearances this season" and he thanked Real President Florentino Pérez for his "unwavering support." Ronaldo: "Football has no memory, but you (Pérez) have a memory and so does Real Madrid and that makes me happy" (TELEGRAPH, 11/7). The BBC reported while Ronaldo wants to end his career in Madrid, he admitted, "No one knows what the future holds." Ronaldo, who has scored 371 goals since joining the club from ManU in '09, added, "I'm going to be here for another five years, but let it be known this will not be my last contract." Pérez said, "We want to be together for many years to come" (BBC, 11/7).
