I'm going to enjoy myself for these last few years as much as I can'

As he turns 80, the unstoppable Sir Rod Stewart is showing no signs of slowing down

- ANNA POINTER

With his headline Glastonbury slot certain to be one of the must-see events of the summer, it's hard to believe that rock legend Sir Rod Stewart celebrates his 80th birthday this week.

The spiky-haired singer reaches the milestone on 10 January, but shows no sign of giving up the 60-year career that has seen him sell a whopping 120 million records globally. "I have no desire to retire," Rod declared on Instagram in November. "I'm fit, have a full head of hair and can run 100 metres in 18 seconds at the age of 79."

Rod's birthday celebrations are being overseen by his wife Penny Lancaster, who previously said she was planning a series of special events that would last "several weeks".

The Essex-based pair are believed to have spent Christmas at their home in Palm Beach, Florida, before sailing to the Caribbean in time for the big day. It's fair to assume they will be joined for the festivities by several of Rod's eight children, including his and 53-year-old Penny's sons Alastair, 19, and Aiden, 13, as well as his four daughters and two sons from former relationships: Sarah, 61, Kimberly, 45, Ruby, 37, Renee, 32, Sean, 44, and Liam, 30. Rod's three grandchildren, Delilah, 13, and Otis and Louie, who are both 19 months, are also likely to be part of the fun.

Known affectionately as the "Rodfather" by his extended clan, Rod once told how the age gaps between his children means being "several different fathers" all at once. But having a large, blended family keeps him young at heart too, and he has said, "If there's a fountain of youth, it's children."

Even today, lifelong Celtic fan Rod is known to enjoy playing football with his brood, saying recently, "I've always played soccer, and I still do. I play with my kids as well. I keep myself really fit. I work out a bit.