As long as the motivation remains and the body does not speak out.

There you have Caroline Seger's variables for how long her football career will continue.

And the body is still unexpectedly well, says the Swedish midfield general.

-It is not the case that you bounce up the day after an international match, but probably not many do.

If you are not 16, says Seger.

And there is obviously nothing wrong with the motivation, considering that she recently signed a new two-year contract with Rosengård.

-I almost think that in recent years I have only grown as a football player.

It's been fun years, to be allowed to see myself develop and continue to develop and play at a high level, it's incredibly cool considering my age.

Tougher with the years

But continuing to play football at the elite level is not by definition the same as continuing in the national team.

The Olympic final in Yokohama last year could have been a fairytale end to a long and successful national team career.

But the classic sports moment, where Caroline Seger had the chance to shoot the gold to Sweden in the penalty shootout against Canada, was instead filled with Swedish silver tears.

Such a painful end to a tournament, after so many years of gold rushing, could kill the motivation, Seger admits.

-When you know how hard you have fought to get all the way and then not reach the last bit… to start over and do it again and again and again - even if it is incredibly fun, it is an incredibly hard work behind .

You know what it takes to get there again, and it's not that easy when you get older.

CLIP: Blackstenius hopeful message

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FOOTBALL EURO: Blackstenius hopeful message