Miroslav Klose aims to exceed Ronaldo
Miroslav Klose is determined to carry on scoring after he joined Ronaldo as the World Cup's all-time top goal scorer at the weekend.
- Ronaldo welcomes Klose to the club
- Honigstein: Klose ties all-time record
Klose, 36, came off the bench to score his 15th World Cup goal within minutes of taking to the field on Saturday, earning Germany a point in a 2-2 draw against Ghana.
Only his celebratory somersault lacked the finishing qualities Klose has shown time and time again for his country, but he says there is more to come.
"Everybody who knows me knows that my top priority in recent months was to play in a fourth World Cup," Klose told the German Football Association. "I've had a difficult year with plenty of setbacks and difficulties, but I never let that knock me off my course.
"This is confirmation for me -- that I've reached this objective. To have scored this goal so quickly is of course a nice bonus too. 20 games, 15 strikes -- that's not so bad."
Klose is not content with sharing the record with Ronaldo though, and has ambitions to overtake the Brazilian and become the all-time record goal scorer with a cushion of at least two goals.
"My aim is to be alone at the top," he said. "I'm not done yet. I would be lying if I were to say any different. I'm a striker and strikers want to score goals, and of course I want to lead this list for as long as possible.
"I know how many talented strikers are out there, but I also know how difficult it is to play football at the level played at a World Cup. Before the tournament started, I set myself the target of three goals. I've played one and scored one, so I'm still on course for that, although I would have nothing against it being more than three."
Klose is likely to retire from international football following the World Cup, but he has already achieved more than he could have dreamed of in a Germany shirt.
After becoming the Nationalmannschaft's all-time record goalscorer with 70 -- overtaking Gerd Muller's 68 - his achievement in Brazil was another milestone, and probably his last at a World Cup.
"This will definitely be my last [World Cup]," added the 36-year-old Lazio forward. "In 2010, I never really believed that I could still be here four years later, but the years go by quickly in football and when you know there's a European Championships or World Cup at the end of the season, it sets even more motivation.
"That worked for me this year, but I can rule 2018 out. I'm just going to try to enjoy every single appearance I get, and if things go well, then I've still got a few to come. We're not finished yet -- the World Cup has only just begun."
When it ends, he will return to Italy to continue his club career with Lazio, whose president Claudio Lotito now feels vindicated in his decision to offer the veteran German forward a new contract this summer.
Many in Italy were claiming he was past his best at the end of last season, in which he scored only seven goals, but Lotito disagreed and tied him down to another two years in Rome.
"Have you seen what a champion 'Miro' is?" Lotito told Rai Radio 2. "I knew it was right to renew his contract, even though everybody was advising me not to. Well, we've all seen how strong he is. You don't get rid of players like that -- that's something only Roma would do.
"He's joined Ronaldo as the most prolific goal scorer of all time at the World Cup and he could become the most prolific ever. I hope he ends his career with us. He just doesn't age," he said.
