Cesc Fabregas has hinted that he would like to continue playing as a professional until the age of 40 as he battles to recover from injury and regain a place in Chelsea's starting XI.
Fabregas, 29, has fallen out of favour since Antonio Conte took over at Stamford Bridge in the summer and has made just four Premier League appearances this season.
He has missed Chelsea's last three matches due to a thigh injury picked up in training at Cobham.
But the Spain international has lost none of his desire to play football at the top level and, on the 13th anniversary of his senior debut as a 16-year-old for Arsenal, suggested he won't be hanging up his boots for some time.
"Thirteen years ago today since my full debut as a professional footballer," Fabregas wrote on Instagram alongside a collage of pictures of him celebrating various trophy wins with the Gunners, Spain, Barcelona and Chelsea, adding: "Eleven more to go."
A photo posted by Cesc Fàbregas (@cescf4bregas) on
Fabregas has repeatedly said he has no desire to leave Chelsea despite struggling to convince Conte that he can be trusted defensively within a physically and tactically demanding style.
The Italian's recent shift to a 3-4-3 system also looks set to further limit his first-team chances.