GLOUCESTER hooker Olivier Azam says retirement is far from his thoughts despite entering his testimonial year at the club.

The French international is entering his 18th pre-season campaign in total and the desire to succeed is still burning strong within him.

Azam has notched up more than 200 appearances for the Kingsholm outfit in two spells at the club and he says he is keen to add many more to that figure.

"This year is my testimonial and I am 35-years-old and I feel good," said Azam, who won ten caps for France.

"I am training very well in pre-season and I am ready to go, to be honest.

"If I stay injury free I could play a bit longer.

"I have no figure in my head for when I will stop but the main thing for me is to enjoy it.

"When I step on the field on Saturdays I know already I am going to enjoy it."

Azam was suffering with illness last week and missed the trip to Ireland for the 15-10 defeat to Munster on Friday night, but he is back and raring to go for the trip to Sandy Park this weekend to face Exeter.

This summer the majority of the Gloucester squad have noticeably trimmed down from all of their fitness work and the French hooker has not been able to escape.

However, despite all his years sweating on the hard grounds in the sunshine before the season kicks off, Azam says it does not get any easier the older he gets.

"I had a bit of illness last week but nothing serious. Nothing was going to stop me playing on Saturday," added Azam.

"I have trimmed down a bit but that is always the case in pre-season we are always going to get a bit trimmer.

"That is the whole point of pre-season at the end of it to be fair.

"It is more of the running then the years before compared to the weights, but we did a lot of running.

"I never enjoy pre-season and that was my 18th pre-season and I still never enjoy it.

"What I do enjoy is playing a game, the confrontation, the competition and the stress before the game that is what I enjoy."