Departing AC Milan veteran Rino Gattuso says he wants to play on.

He has missed most of the season due to an ocular condition that meant he saw double and needed steroids to correct the medical issue.

"I still want to battle and prove I am not dead in football terms. Both Adriano Galliani and the club showed great respect by offering me another year on my contract, but like Nesta I preferred to take another path. I will decide with my family where I'll play. Clearly out of respect for Milan I'd never go to Inter or Juventus, but then those clubs don't want me anyway!

"I never dared say I wanted a first team shirt at all costs. I always respected the decisions of the clubs and Coaches, even when I made a mistake with Leonardo. I turned down the renewal because I don't want to be a weight on anyone. I felt within me the need to go and give fresh blood a chance. I no longer feel the same fighting spirit I always had.

"A few months ago I felt that I wasn't going to play at all anymore and would take a role in the club. I felt a bit like a mascot recently, almost as if the team captains exchanged me before kick-off!"