Roberto Mancini can see no reason why Patrick Vieira should not play on for another three seasons.

Vieira set up Emmanuel Adebayor's excellent second in a 2-0 win for Manchester City against local rivals Bolton at Eastlands on Tuesday night that allowed them to join Liverpool in the hotly-contested battle for fourth spot.

It was the perfect response to jibes that the former Arsenal captain is over the hill and his reaction to a suggestion that he might need a rest following his first game in a month - a curt "am I that old?" - did not give the impression Vieira is happy with the chatter.

Mancini certainly does not feel there is even a grain of truth in the theories.

And having won a coveted Serie A title in Italy when he was 36, the City boss feels Vieira can follow his example.

"I played until I was 36 and I was still playing well," countered the Italian.

"I won the Scudetto at that age, so I see no reason why Patrick can't carry on as well.

"First of all I hope he can play another 15 games for us in the league this season because his performances are going to be very important."