Gianluigi Buffon’s gloves will take some filling.
The Juventus stalwart has essentially become part of the furniture at the club, having made over 600 appearances for the Old Lady.
Despite his glittering career, Buffon has never lifted the Champions League trophy but he will get the chance to remedy that on Saturday when he attempts to keep the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale quiet in the Champions League final.
You’d be hard pushed to find a more legendary goalkeeper than Buffon but one man who could rival the Italian in that department is Iker Casillas.
Casillas achieved the same status for Real Madrid as Buffon did for Juve, and the pair have the utmost respect for one another.
And while both of them continue to perform acts of heroic goalkeeping well into the autumn of their respective careers, retirement looms large.
And Casillas, now at Porto, has named the shot-stopper who should replace Buffon between the sticks at Juventus when his time at the club comes to an end.
The Spaniard has advised Massimiliano Allegri to take AC Milan ‘keeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, to the Juventus Stadium this summer before sending him out on loan to earn some valuable experience.
“They should take Donnarumma,” Casillas told La Gazzetta dello Sport, via Football Italia.
“Leave him on loan for a year or two until Gigi retires and then bring him to Turin. If I were to bet on a young goalkeeper it would be him.
“There’s no-one else in Europe, there isn’t another 18-year-old with so many qualities. Obviously he still has to mature for a year or two, but his qualities are obvious.”
