NFL legend Peyton Manning shares a light moment with retired NBA star Yao Ming during a visit to Shanghai as the NFL Global Ambassador.

Peyton Manning says he is still adapting to his new life after retiring from the National Football League as one of the most recognized and parodied quarterback in history.

"In the past 25 years (since high school), I never got a chance to do other things in fall," Manning said during a face-to-face session with local fans in Shanghai. "Now that I don't have to play games, I can really be a football fan."

As NFL's latest Global Ambassador, the 40-year-old is making his first trip to China this week, visiting Shanghai and Beijing.

Apart from interacting with fans, Manning also met with former National Basketball Association star Yao Ming. The two first met during an advertisement shoot back in 2003. Yao accepted Manning's invitation to attend the 2017 Super Bowl to be held in Houston.

Manning spent 14 years with the Indianapolis Colts before joining the Denver Broncos for his last four seasons. He holds a batch of NFL records including passing yards, touchdown passes, and 4,000-yard passing seasons. The two-time Super Bowl winner is also the older brother of New York Giants quarterback Eli.

During the meeting with local fans and media, Manning talked about his life after retirement, as well as the sport of American football and its promotion in China.

Q: What's your plan after retirement?

Manning: I have finally become a fan; now I can see the Broncos' games or watch my brother Eli play. I'm going to take a pause this fall and figure out what are the things I don't want to miss and want to do. I don't want to rush into something right away, but I will try out things that I didn't have a chance to do before.

Q: How can young players become great quarterbacks like you?

Manning: As a quarterback, you don't need to have the strongest arm, but accuracy. You have to keep practicing throwing passes to your receivers. You have to work more on your own than with the coach. Take your friends out to a park and work on throwing. Figure out where your receivers are going to be and put the ball at exactly the right place. As a quarterback, you just have to do your job well as a lot of people are counting on you. You have to be accountable to your teammate and coaches. That's how I have been doing my job as I know a lot of people are counting on me. My dad and brother Eli are all quarterbacks. As a quarterback, you get to work with people with so many different types of personalities, which is very rewarding.

Q: We hear you say "Omaha" a lot when playing. What does it mean?

Manning: It's a word that has existed for long in the NFL though it's kind of attributed to me now. It's an indicator and trigger word that lets your teammates know that you've changed the play, you need the ball soon and there is no time on the clock. I don't know who came up with the word or what the origin of it was. But I can tell you that I am very much a big deal in Omaha, Nebraska (laughs). I visited Omaha couple of years ago and have charity foundations there.

Q: How should American football be promoted in China?

Manning: I know the goal of the NFL has been to bring an action game to China, and let the fans get closer to the game, like what we do in the UK. I have played preseason games in Tokyo and Mexico City, and I always enjoyed playing out of the US to feel the fans' passion. I think the NFL will continue to send more players like me over here and help grow the game. Also, we should encourage more people to watch football, play football and join some of the other leagues.

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