Gianluigi Buffon leaves door open to Italy return after Juventus keeper is named best player in Serie A
Juventus keeper, 39, scooped gong after vote from fellow pros at the Gran Gala del Calcio bash in Milan
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GIANLUIGI BUFFON has left the door open to an amazing return to Italy duty.
The Juventus keeper was last night voted as Serie A's player of the year by the fellow pros at the Gran Gala del Calcio bash in Milan.
It made for a positive end to a disastrous month for Buffon, who broke down in tears as he called time on his Azzurri career after crashing out of the World Cup play-offs to Sweden.
But the 175-cap legend, who won the World Cup in 2006, now refuses to rule out a return to the international fold.
Buffon, 39, said: "I've taken a bit of a break. I've reached a certain age now.
"I've always been a soldier on call for duty for the national team and Juve, so I could never desert them.
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"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."
Buffon had always said he would retire after Italy's World Cup campaign was over, but had not expected it to be before this summer's tournament in Russia.
He added: "The amount of disappointment was enormous.
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"What happened with the national team is maybe the biggest disappointment of my career, together with a couple of Champions League finals.
"We've got to look ahead and end this season in the best way possible, and there are still plenty of objectives to attain."
Buffon was also named in the Serie A team of the year with six of his Juve team-mates.
Leonardo Bonucci, Alex Sandro, Dani Alves, Miralem Pjanic, Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala were also in the XI.