Gianluigi Buffon has hinted at a potential postponement of his retirement from Azzurri duty.
Though the Italy shot-stopper announced earlier this month that he planned to step away from football at the end of this season, it appears the 39-year-old may be having second thoughts.
On Monday, the Juventus star accepted the Italian Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year award and later said he would suit up for his country in the future if necessary.
“I’ve always been a soldier on call for duty for the national team and Juve, so I could never desert them,” Buffon said.
“I’ve always got to be ready. Even when I am 60, if disease struck all goalkeepers then I would be ready because that is how I view the notion of a national team.”
The world renowned keeper is also still reeling, on a personal level, from the Azzurri’s failure to reach next summer’s World Cup in Russia.
“The amount of disappointment was enormous,” the Old Lady captain said. “What happened with the national team is maybe the biggest disappointment of my career, together with a couple of Champions League finals.”
