A man who played Premier League football in his 40s believes the Juventus icon is an all-time great, and has a few more years left in him yet.
Neville Southall says Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon is a ‘class act’ and ‘what everybody should be like as a goalkeeper’.
The former Everton shot-stopper knows a thing or two about life between the sticks, having provided the last line of defence for the Toffees during their 1980s heyday.
He also won 92 caps for Wales and played Premier League football for Bradford City at 41 years of age.
Italy international Buffon is a relative youngster in comparison, at 38, and is showing no signs of slowing down.
“He’s class, just class,” Southall said. Naijabet.com
“He’s done it for so long now and can probably keep it going for the next season or two, but I think he’s a class act. He’s what everybody should be like as a goalkeeper.”
Buffon is back in contention for the Ballon d’or, having been surprisingly overlooked 12 months ago, and finished as the highest-ranked goalkeeper in the 2016 Goal 50 – ahead of the likes of Manuel Neuer and David de Gea in 20th spot.
He remains a regular for club and country, one fast closing in on 1000 competitive appearances, and has retained an air of authority and composure throughout a distinguished career that has lasted over 20 years and delivered countless major honours – including seven Serie A titles, three Coppa Italia crowns and a World Cup triumph.
“To me, he’s what goalkeepers are all about,” said Southall.
“He’s got a great spirit about him and great stability. He’s a class act. He’s always played the same way.
“The difference was in the penalty shoot-out between England and Italy [at Euro 2012], he was chilled out on the goal line and used his experience and made more saves than Joe Hart.”
Buffon earned his 167th cap for the Azzurri during the international break, with that haul placing him alongside Spain’s Iker Casillas and Latvia’s Vitalijs Astafjevs as European football’s most-distinguished performers and joint-sixth on the global all-time list – still some 17 short of Egypt’s Ahmed Hassan.
