Muscat, who turns 35 in August, led his side into pre-season training and said he had not given any thought to whether this would be his last campaign.

"I haven't given it (retirement) any thought. One thing's for sure - I won't need anyone to tell me when it's time to hang them up. My body will know before anyone else,'' Muscat said.

"At this point in time it's just about enjoying my football. I'm 35 years old and I was chomping at the bit to come back. Hopefully that's a good sign.''

Muscat launched into his 20th senior pre-season, but the Victory's long Asian Champions League (ACL) campaign following last A-League season means the players have had just four weeks off and are virtually match-fit.

Muscat said the short break was no excuse for the Victory not to improve on their disappointment last season, in which they missed the A-League finals and failed in the ACL.

"We've got enough time to get ourselves to get ourselves in good enough shape for the first game of the season,'' he said.

"I don't think (the short break) is an issue. We're eager to get back into it and very happy to be back."