PATRICK VIEIRA admits he has often imagined lining up alongside Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and Roberto Carlos

PATRICK VIEIRA admits he has often imagined lining up alongside Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and Roberto Carlos for Real Madrid.

The Arsenal skipper even confessed the attraction of being yet another world superstar on the books at the Bernabeu Stadium is a mouthwatering proposition.

But midfielder Vieira snaps out of his dream world of fantasy football and back to reality when he talks about his actual future.

He has one year to go on his Highbury contract and says his only true ambition is to extend it — and that is even allowing for the undeniable allure of Madrid.

In an exclusive News of the World interview, Vieira, 26, said: "Of course I think about playing for Real Madrid.

"Who wouldn't with the kind of team they have, the kind of squad they have?

"Surely every player would want to play for them and I'm no different.

"It would be great — Real Madrid are one of the biggest clubs in the world. But for me the situation is more than just that.

"It is not only about playing for the biggest club you can find and alongside such great players.

"The most important thing of all to me is to be happy, not happy with just one or two issues but happy with everything around me.

"And everything I am looking for I find here at Arsenal. I have found everything I have always wanted right here.

"I have never been happier and I don't want to take the risk of going somewhere else and never finding such happiness again.

"There is something really special at this club. Everyone is working together with a positive attitude. Everyone is in the zone working for the club and to succeed.

"We have a great squad and we all believe we can win things together.

"Yes, we have pressure but every player can still perform and enjoy their game. And that's vital.

"I know some clubs where the pressure is so great the players can't play. So it is an easy decision. It is not a problem."

Vieira says his new deal will be sorted soon — but not until the season finishes.

He added: "At the moment we are all concentrating of making the season a real success — that's me, the manager and the vice-chairman David Dein. But in the summer it will be fine.

"I have a contract until 2004 but I want to stay longer, a lot longer. The way I feel right now I'd be happy to finish my career here — why not?

"So it's not going to be a problem for me to stay."

His loyalty to Arsenal is so strong that he is already talking about quitting international football to prolong his club career with the Gunners.

Vieira revealed: "I think the way things are going right now, with so many games being played, I will stop my international career early.

"I think you will find most players like myself will do the same, especially those playing in midfield or in attack.

"If you try to carry on too long you can actually cut your own career short.

"So there will be a time when I will say that's enough and stop it. Then I will play just for my club — after all they pay the fees, pay my wages.

"Alan Shearer has done it and Roy Keane has just done it. And I'm sure there will be more.

"Shearer has certainly enjoyed the benefit of it. You only have to see the way he is playing for Newcastle.

"He used to miss a lot of games, ruled out through injuries — but not now.

"He's given up those international extra games and all the travelling there and back and he's clearly better for it."

That's a major decision for another day, most likely after the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Right now, the sole concern is winning the Premiership and the FA Cup for the second year running.

Vieira vowed: "Everyone is really focused on the conclusion to this season.

"We want to do the Double again. To do it once is really difficult but when you have done it once, you know you can go on and do it again.

"We have good, experienced players in the team and it is really exciting right now in the Premiership and in the FA Cup.

"At this stage of the season every game is important and we cannot let up on our efforts now. Not in the league, not in the FA Cup. We might be the favourites but we still must do it.

"For instance, people look at our match with Sheffield United and say we will win.

"But it is not easy for anyone to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup. Yet Sheffield United have done it and they have surprised people like Leeds along the way.

"So we have to be ready ... and we will be."

Vieira is in no mood to let another Double slip through his grasp.

But even if Arsenal do make it a back-to-back double Double, he is still looking for more in the future.

He added: "If you compare this season to when we did the Double in 1998, we are a vastly different side. Then we were defending really well but couldn't score the kind of goals we have created this season.

"I think this year we have played fantastic football.

"Obviously, when you play such attacking football it's often the case that you lose a few more goals.

"Maybe we have to find a balance between the two if we want to improve a bit more."

The obvious target for improvement is in Europe — where the Gunners have again underachieved.

It clearly hurts Vieira, who said: "It is hard for me to accept. We wanted to do really well this year.

"We felt we had the potential to really do well. And we should have.

"When you look at the games we feel we were the better team — better than Valencia, better than Ajax and better than Roma.

"In our home games we created so many chances but we just did not convert enough.

"So we need to take one more step up to get to the top in Europe.

"And I think we will certainly do that next season — next year we will get through to the quarter-finals and beyond!"