Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says he intends to return to football.

Wenger has been out of the game since leaving the Gunners a year ago.

He is quoted by The Sun: “When I left Arsenal I thought 'do I go straight back into that heat again?'

“Because once you go into that, you know there is nothing else.

“So I thought I'd take a bit of time out. Two months . . . three months  . . . and now I have a problem to get back in again!

“But I will go back into football for sure. The appetite and the desire is still there. So now I have to decide whether I return as a manager or in another role.

“In 40 years of management, my toughest competition was always with myself. As long as I am on this earth my basic question will always be 'what is my next level?'

“That will never change. But now I am at an age where I have to fight not to go down."

Wenger continued: “I'm not as fit as I was when I was 20, but I still run ten kilometres every day and my joints have survived, so that's not so bad.

“I have enjoyed getting away from the stress. I have discovered the freedom of time in front of you and that's a good feeling.

“For example, if I have an interesting lunch, now I don't have to get up and leave early because I have some other commitment.

“I read a lot, I've travelled a lot, I do lots of different sports, some charity work and I have attended many conferences on football, on management, on motivation and on the meaning of life, although I still don't know what that means."