The gift that does not keep on giving

ANYONE who loved playing football but was forced to stop due to old age and creaking limbs will have understood precisely what the 34-year-old Ronaldo experienced before his retirement.

Explaining his reasons for quitting the game he so dearly loves, the three-time World Footballer of the Year said: “I wanted to continue, but I can’t. I think of an action, but I can’t do it the way I want to. It’s time.”

The realisation that the legs can no longer follow the impulses of the mind can be a harrowing time for any sportsman.