Michael Parkhurst can't predict the future, but he's quite confident he will be playing soccer professionally next season.

Michael Parkhurst can�t predict the future, but he�s quite confident he will be playing soccer professionally next season.

The 32-year-old center back hopes it�s in Columbus, a place his wife and kids have grown to love since his arrival at the start of the 2014 season. The Crew SC captain, however, won�t stay for a pittance.

�I think I�ve got good years left in me,� Parkhurst said after training Friday. �I�m not going to take just anything that�s given to me and be happy or take whatever role and be happy. No, I think I have a couple really good years left in this league.�

The 12th-year pro, who helped the club reach the MLS Cup final a season ago, understands he might be appearing in one of his final home matches for the Crew tonight against the Vancouver Whitecaps. Although he�s focused on stringing together wins for a playoff push, Parkhurst said he�s given thought to his future after January when he�s out of contract.

He has spoken to coach and sporting director Gregg Berhalter about an extension, but the sides could not reach an agreement.

�We just didn�t see eye to eye on numbers and value,� Parkhurst said. �Rather than drag it out and let it get personal � it�s business, and both of us understand that � we decided to talk again at the end of the season.�

The team�s season-long struggle hasn�t aided his cause. The Crew (5-10-11) sits last in the Eastern Conference and eight points out of a postseason spot with eight games left. Even Parkhurst�s place in the lineup � he has started all but one game in his three seasons � appears tenuous with the addition of Nicolai Naess, 23, and the return of Gaston Sauro, 26.

All three center backs started last week with holding midfielder Wil Trapp (concussion) injured, and Naess sliding into his role. There�s a chance Berhalter employs a similar plan, moving Tony Tchani to the playmaker spot with ailing Federico Higuain coming off the bench again.

�The most important thing is when (Parkhurst is) given the opportunity � he�s been given plenty of opportunities � that he (plays well) just like any other player,� Berhalter said. �Obviously, there�s a good relationship between the coaching staff and Michael. We rely heavily on him for how the group is doing and the field point of view. That�s valued highly but it also comes down to performance, and we have to look at that objectively then make a decision moving forward.�

Parkhurst is a former MLS defender of the year (2007), a veteran of 25 national-team appearances and a player who spent six years in Europe. Berhalter acknowledged, however, the cerebral Parkhurst, like many on the team, has endured an up-and-down season.

He was impacted by the three-month loss of Sauro to a knee injury in May. Parkhurst also has played through pain, a dislocated shoulder in the spring that led him to wear a harness.

If Naess and Sauro return next year, it�s hard to imagine Parkhurst getting a big-money extension. He�s the Crew's fourth highest-paid player, according to Spotrac.com, making $300,000 in guaranteed salary.

�Things happen quickly, you never know,� he said. �I�d love to stay here. The style of play fits me. I like the team, I like the staff. The family loves it here, we�ve set down roots, but we�ve moved a bunch in my career, and if it�s not meant to be then I will move on and play elsewhere.�& amp; amp; amp; amp; amp; lt; /p>

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