Arsene Wenger says he is more committed to the job than ever and that the thought of retirement makes him panic.

At 65, and approaching the start of his 20th year with Arsenal, the Frenchman could be forgiven for considering following the path of old foe Sir Alex Ferguson into a life away from the game.

On the contrary, though, Wenger has never been more up for the challenge and has admitted that he cannot allow the thought of packing in to linger.

In an interview with a number of national newspapers, he said: "Retirement? Yes, it crosses my mind sometimes, but for no longer than five seconds because I panic a little bit.

"When we played at Man United, he [Ferguson] came to meet me after the game. I said: 'Come on, you don't miss it?' He says: 'No.' He had enough. He goes to every game. But he has horses. I have no horses.

"Enthusiasm? That is not a problem, honestly. I am more committed than ever for that. I just think the number of times you have done it doesn't count. It is how much you love what you do that counts.

"And the love of what you do is not necessarily diminished by the number of times you've done it. Football is new every day. That's a big quality. It makes you question.