OLIVIER GIROUD is a vintage performer and has no plans to call it quits.
Striker Giroud, 36, is now France’s all-time highest goalscorer with 52 goals but craves more success at every level.
The former Arsenal and Chelsea star is also relieved to have got the milestone out of the way so he can focus on defeating England in Saturday’s quarter final.
Giroud, now with Milan, said: “We can move on, forget about this, because so many people were talking about this.
“Now it is done, it is a good thing. The most important thing is to score more goals to help the team, reach our target which is to take games step by step and go as far as we can.
“Am I getting better, like a fine wine? A lot of friends said the same about that.
“It is funny, I feel good, physically, and I still have the motivation to play at the best level.
“As long as my body allows me I will carry on because I am a competitor and I am enjoying the game so much and this team.
“It is such an honour to represent France, I will carry on. I don’t know until when, I don’t want to put any limits.”
Giroud played with England midfielder Mason Mount at Chelsea but after nine years playing in the Premier League he knows our game and our players inside out.
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He said: “We have a few players in the team who play in the Premier League and I have been told, I don’t know who said it, ‘let’s catch up in the quarter final’.”
France’s players have had to build bridges to repair damaged relationships in order to create the formidable team spirit that is seeing them through in Qatar.
Public fallouts between Giroud and Kylian Mbappe in particular took their toll and they went out in the round of 16 on penalties to Switzerland.
Giroud made a thinly veiled accusation that Mbappe was not passing enough and the row brewed from there.
Giroud reckons the Covid hangover and restrictions still in place – no family visits in particular – was a factor behind the simmering tensions.
Giroud said: “It was a weird game against Switzerland, you never know what can happen. At the end of the day we lost on a penalty shootout.
“If we had gone through this stage, we would not talk about Covid, we couldn’t see our families.
“It was true it was the same for all the teams but it was a weird time for playing competitions.
“I can say playing at this World Cup is freedom, fresh air. It is a bit hot but it is ok.”
