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Cristiano Ronaldo says he wants to play on beyond the age of 40 but what would he look like then? No, were not talking age-recognition technology but his evolution as a player. Adam Bate examines the numbers to reveal the speed of decline and assess his chances... Im at the best club in the world and I want to retire here, said Cristiano Ronaldo upon agreeing a new five-year contract with Real Madrid. Nothing particularly unusual about those platitudes, but the final two words of the sentence were intriguing. At 41, he added.That would be unusual. Sir Stanley Matthews, the first man awarded the Ballon dOr, played at 50, but none of the seven retired winners since the turn of the century were active in Europe after the age of 36. Even Ronaldos old team-mate Ryan Giggs didnt make it to 41. Man Utd vs Arsenal November 19, 2016, 11:30am Live on Get Sky Sports Get a Sky Sports pass However, Ronaldo is a different case. If he doesnt wish to bow out close to the peak of his powers (like 2003 winner Pavel Nedved) and he can maintain the appetite to continue in the face of diminishing returns (unlike 2001 winner Michael Owen), then the opportunity is there to go on.Neither Ronaldos Brazilian namesake nor his compatriot Ronaldinho possessed the Portuguese stars extraordinary commitment to physical preparation. Dedication is a huge part of staying at the top and Ronaldos focus is perhaps unparalleled within the game. The game that made Ronaldo? In action for Sporting against Man Utd in 2003 But time cannot be resisted indefinitely. Decline is inevitable and Ronaldo will not be immune. In fact, the evidence is already there. The transformation in his game is apparent and its born of necessity not choice. The marauding figure of old is now long gone.Ronaldo recently reminisced about the appearance for Sporting that helped launch his career with Manchester United, but the dribbles that induced such dizziness in his markers are a thing of the past. The numbers reveal that much. Ronaldo is dribbling less and less at Real Madrid as his game changes In Ronaldos first season at Madrid, he was completing 3.3 dribbles per 90 minutes. By last season, that number had more than halved. But the real change has been evident since the summer with a further dip. Hes now only completing one dribble every 135 minutes.Thats common for wingers as they adapt their game, but its not only the dribbling thats changed. Ronaldo no longer takes over football matches in quite the same way. Hes getting fewer touches and passing the ball less often too. Ronaldo is playing fewer passes now than ever in a Real Madrid shirt In his first year in Spain, he averaged more than 40 passes per 90 minutes. Hes not done so since. In fact, his pass numbers have declined year on year to the current low of 28 so far this season. That too is a consequence of him gravitating towards the opposition goal.The emphasis is now firmly on scoring goals and its a formidable record. Ronaldo has found the net 265 times in 244 La Liga appearances for Real Madrid. In all competitions, hes passed the 50-goal mark in each of the past six seasons. Watch some of Ronaldos best free-kick goals for Real Madrid Even as his game has changed, hes found ways to keep on scoring. And thats happened despite the downward trend in his shot numbers. Ronaldo averaged more than seven shots per 90 minutes in each of his first four seasons, but below seven in each of the last three.Thats surprising given Ronaldo is now a killing-stroke specialist, but it follows a trend identified by analytics experts. For reasons unknown, players from the age of 27 onwards just cannot generate shots at the same rate they once did, wrote StatsBombs Ben Pugsley. 6 months half price Upgrade to Sky Sports now to watch Man Utd v Arsenal this Saturday and get the first six months half At 31, Ronaldo is due another dip with some analytics work suggesting the number of shots could soon fall off a cliff. Even so, as well as his change in position there is another reason to expect Ronaldo to continue scoring - he has considerable leeway in this department.Such were his astonishing numbers during his peak, Ronaldo still had far more shots last season than any other player in La Liga. For example, he had over twice as many shots as Athletic Bilbaos Aritz Aduriz and that didnt stop the Basque striker scoring 20 goals. What happened when Ronaldo coached lucky youngsters live on SkySports.com Aduriz, of course, is 35-years-old himself and could provide an instructive example in more ways than one. A powerful header of the ball, the Spain international has enjoyed the best goalscoring form of his career thanks to his work inside the six-yard box.Delve a little deeper into Ronaldos shot volume and theres a noticeable trend in terms of the types of opportunities that hes been having. While the overall numbers are down, thats largely due to him cutting down on the speculative efforts from long distance. Ronaldo is shooting less but having more efforts from inside the six-yard box From a high of 4.2 shots from outside the box per game in his first year in Madrid, those numbers are now down below three. Meanwhile, the number of shots from inside the six-yard box are higher than ever this year. Ronaldo has morphed into a penalty-box predator.He has the physique to play the target-man role and the technique to take the chances. The free-flowing athlete that was Ronaldo in his prime turned himself into the worlds best player. A man whose movement is restricted could still become the worlds best poacher. A Madrid vs R Madrid November 19, 2016, 7:15pm Live on Get Sky Sports Get a Sky Sports pass Zlatan Ibrahimovic has endured some criticism at Manchester United but hes among the top scorers in the Premier League and the statistics show that hes had more shots than anyone else. The only man in England to have had more clear-cut chances is Jermain Defoe and hes 34. It is still possible for veterans to get into the right positions.And if they can do it then why not Ronaldo? Some will question the decision to play through the decline, but hes well used to ignoring such criticism. And besides, even the next version of Ronaldo can be effective. There could be many more goals yet to come.Upgrade to Sky Sports now to watch Man Utd v Arsenal this Saturday and get the first six months half price! Also See: WATCH: Ronaldos free-kicks Ronaldo expects special return Jamal Adams Jets Jersey . Robinson finished with 17 points, all but two in the second half, and Lawson had 14 after halftime and finished with a game-high 11 assists as the Nuggets handed Dallas its first home loss in eight games this season. J.J. Hickson led Denver with 22, and Kenneth Faried added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Keyshawn Johnson Jets Jersey . LUCIE, Fla. http://www.authenticnyjetspro.com/Quinnen-williams-jets-jersey/ . -- Brandon Jennings made the most of his first game with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. Curtis Martin Womens Jersey . The Canadian squad, skipped by Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg, got on the board first with two in the second end, and followed that with two more apiece in the fourth and sixth ends. Wayne Chrebet Jets Jersey . The 25-year-old Japanese star has officially been posted by his club team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. Were counting down the greatest basketball sneakers in NBA history. Our #NBArank panel of sneakerheads rated dozens of shoes. The result is our Top 30 list. Today we unveil sneakers 16-20.#NBArank All-Time Kicks: Nos. 16-20 |?21-30 | Honorable mentionsPuma ClydeYear of release 1973Player who wore em Walt FrazierCheck the rhyme Not only did Ad-Rock sport the Clydes on the cover of the Beastie Boys?Check Your Head, but Frazier also got a mention himself on Pass The Mic in the lyric, So what you gonna say that I dont know already?/Im like Clyde and Im Rockin Steady.The sneaker Even if you know Walt Clyde Frazier only for his outlandish suits on Knicks broadcasts, you know the one thing hes always brought to basketball is style. That extended to his signature Puma sneaker, which used a colorful suede in an era when nearly every basketball sneaker was either leather or canvas. Its more an off-court sneaker these days, but still just as stylish as the day Clyde first slipped them on. --?Adam ReisingerNike Zoom Kobe VIIIYear of release 2012Player who wore em Kobe BryantClassic ad You can be like me, Aziz Ansari.The sneaker When Kobe Bryant went low with the Kobe V, he started a trend that would culminate with the Kobe VIII, the lightest basketball sneaker ever. Despite checking in at just 9.6 ounces, the shoe was incredibly supportive on the foot, while pushing forward the style fans and players had come to expect from the Kobe line.?--?A.R.Nike Air Max Penny IIYear of release 1996Player who wore em Penny HardawayCheck the rhyme OK, not a rhyme, but the hip-hop mag?Ego Trip did help contribute the conspiracy theory that 2Pac is still alive because hes wearing yet-to-be-released Pennys in the Toss It Up video. What other sneaker can claim something like that?The sneaker His career doesnt stack up to players like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant or LeBBron James, but when it comes to signature sneakers, Penny Hardaway is one of the all-time greats.dddddddddddd The first of three Penny kicks checks in at No. 18 on our countdown, and retro releases in 2016 mean youre probably likely to see this sneaker on players feet at your local runs even today, proving how this model has withstood the test of time. --?A.R.Adidas SuperstarYear of release 1969Players who wore em Jerry West?and Kareem Abdul-JabarCheck the rhyme My Adidas and me close as can be/We make a mean team, my Adidas and me | Run-DMC, My AdidasThe sneaker If theres a shoe that deserves the credit for taking basketball sneakers from the days of Chuck Taylors to modern times, its this one -- if only for introducing leather as the common material that would be used on kicks for decades to follow. Whether it was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wearing them in the 70s or Run DMC rocking them in the 80s, these shoes were perfect for legends and everyday folks alike. --?A.R.Air Jordan XIIYear of release 1996Player who wore em Michael JordanHighlight play All 44 minutes.The sneaker Is there a shoe more associated with a single game than this one? Probably not. You cant think of the Air Jordan XII without thinking of the Flu Game, Michael Jordans iconic performance in Game 5 of the 1997 Finals. That game alone probably lifts this sneaker a couple spots higher than it otherwise would be on the list, but it earns its place in sneaker history by being one of the best releases from the iconic Jordan line. --?A.R.#NBArank All-Time Kicks 21-30If you want to get involved in the discussion or just follow along, #NBArank is the Twitter hashtag to use. You also can follow along with?@ESPNNBA as we count down the 30 best kicks ever. ' ' '