Singer Rod Stewart: I never bought any drugs and I miss football but it is too painful to play

The 70-year-old spoke to Loaded magazine about why he has avoided the rock'n'roll lifestyle saying, "I never bought any drugs. Never. We did some coke sometimes in The Faces, but it was never important to me.

"You can't go on the field after a skin-full of that. Well, I couldn't. I've just never been a real druggie person."

The star, who will return to Scotland next year to play Kilmarnock's Rugby Park and at Inverness Caledonian Thistle's Tulloch Caledonian Stadium, does however still enjoy up to three glasses of wine a night.

He said he often drank because of a lack of confidence playing with The Faces, adding, "Back in The Faces days we all used to drink Mateus Rose, with that funny-shaped bottle. I think we put it on the map. We had no confidence, so we'd get routinely drunk or we wouldn't have been able to play otherwise."

The Celtic supporter also spoke about how much he misses playing football.

He said: "Aw man, I miss it so much. The preparation; a good night's sleep on Saturday nights before kick-off Sunday mornings. Getting my kit all ready. Oh, my shin pads. I am a genuine fitness fanatic. I've had a full-time trainer for fifteen years. I take it seriously!

He added: "Towards the end I could only play 35 minutes a game, because I've had knee operations, and it was painful.

"So if I had to do a concert in the evening, in Las Vegas, I'd literally limp onto the stage. Couldn't get out of the dressing room. So, the football had to go. It's been a good innings though.

The father-of-eight also said that his quest to find love comes from the fact he is an 'old softie'

He said: "Oh, y'know, I've done pretty well with women. 

"Basically I like to think I'm an old softie romantic. I haven't made too many enemies along the road."