Robin van Persie has laughed off suggestions he is in decline and vowed to play on for years to come.
The Manchester United striker said he is back to his sharpest after scoring twice in Monday's 2-1 win at Southampton and feels the World Cup may have accounted for his slow start to the season.
And the Dutch captain admitted he was taken aback by suggestions he should be dropped and feels criticism has become more intense in recent years.
He told MUTV: "Over the last few weeks, I have been feeling very good, physical-wise. I can make more runs and I don't think it is a coincidence the goals are flowing more.
"It was a hard start to the season. I don't know what to blame for that. Maybe it is the World Cup. I have played five tournaments in total, three European Championships and two World Cups, and for the first period after, it was always tougher to get back to your best form."
Van Persie only scored three goals in his first 11 United appearances of the season but is adamant that was not down to the passing of time.
He added: "When you hit 30 and you have a bad spell, suddenly it is [interpreted as being] because of your age. I am convinced now I will play for many years to come at the highest level. That is my aim, so the age thing is not an issue."
But he was surprised people were calling for him to lose his place, explaining: "It is not nice when you read those comments about you. It is a new period in football, it has developed into social media now.
"Players are working with that, but you have comments from people who analyse the game or journalists, [which] are getting stronger. When I first came to England, 10 or 11 years ago, it wasn't like this but now it is a bit ruthless, the opinions and stuff but again it is a combination of how things developed over the years. It is a new world and we have to adapt."
Van Persie said he got his reward for hard work at St Mary's, saying: "I was quite happy how I was playing, how I was holding the ball up for the team.
"That is where it starts: by holding the ball up, by winning your duels, by making your runs, not only for yourself but for your teammates. All those things were going right.
"I don't think it is luck. The first goal I scored [by intercepting Jose Fonte's back-pass]: nine out of 10 strikers don't make that run. It is making your own luck. When you do all the things you have to do, then you create your own luck.
"That is the case for the second goal. I have been making that run for the last three months and the ball never came that well for me and this was the first time the ball came exactly where I wanted it to be. I did a lot of sprints for nothing but if you keep doing that then you will get your luck."