Former Dynamo Moscow defender who currently plays for Zenit Saint Petersburgh said that he wants to participate in the next World Cup in Russia.

He said that he is training hard with his club and he hopes to make it to the last big competition of his career.

The player said that he has always love to play for his country and he feels that the World Cup 2018 will be the last opportunity for him to represent his country in a major tournament.

He admitted however that his chances are slim at the moment as there are some younger players ahead of him but he said that you never know in football. The important thing for him is to train hard and make sure that he is fit enough to play at the highest level.

He believes that Russia has a good opportunity to shine at the tournament and it is important that the players believe in themselves. He said that the Russian government is giving the national all the resources to train properly and he feels that the results will come down to how much the players want to perform at the tournament.

Yuri Zhirkov said that he has had a great career so far and that he wants to end it on a high note. For him, the best thing will be to play for his national team at the World Cup that will be held on home soil. He said that this would be a unique opportunity for his family and friends to see him perform at a major tournament before his eyes.

At the moment he wants to focus on his training and ensure that he is in the best possible condition at the time of the World Cup next year.