Pires reveals Australia offer

Aston Villa midfielder Robert Pires has revealed he could continue his playing career in Australia.

The 37-year-old signed a six-month deal with the English Premier League outfit in November and has impressed in his nine appearances he has made with the club, scoring one goal.But with manager Gerard Houllier set to look to the future at the end of this season, Pires is likely to move on and Australia’s A-League could be his next destination.”I’m prepared to retire in May if that’s what it comes to, but I am also ready to go wherever an interesting proposition comes from,” Pires told FIFA’s official website.”Be it Qatar or the US. I’ve even had an offer from Australia.”"I’m still playing in the Premier League so I get noticed. People haven’t forgotten about me. Anyway, one thing at a time. I’ll look at that at the end of the season.”Pires would be an ideal marquee signing for any A-League club and his experience would be invaluable to some of Australia’s finest young players.The Frenchman is viewed as a legend by Arsenal fans, having helped the club to two Premier League titles and three FA Cup successes in his six-season stint in North London.Throughout that spell, Pires scored 62 goals in 189 Premier League appearances and was awarded the Football Writers Association Player of the Year in 2001/02.

Mon 28 March, 2011