Mark Bresciano believes his 2011 move from Europe to the Middles East has resurrected his international career.
The 33-year old midfielder left Lazio for UAE outfit Al Nasr after more than a decade in Italy before moving on to Qatari club Al-Gharafa in August last year and he is confident it has assisted him in forcing his way back into the Australian setup.
"Moving there is the best possible thing I could have done for my career and I believe it's prolonged it," he told SBS.
"There are fewer games, so there is more recovery time and that tends to keep injuries to a minimum.
"I like playing in the heat. It's good for my body and I am enjoying my football as much now as at any time in my career.
"I am really playing now for the sheer love of the game, and I feel I'm still performing at a good level and that my game has not dropped off since coming to this part of the world."
