Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon insists “I feel better than five, six or seven years ago”.
The 40-year-old left Juventus in the summer after 17 years, but rather than retiring he opted to continue his career in Ligue 1.
“I had no idea how the other players would view me, and I even felt a little apprehensive,” Buffon admitted an interview with France Football, which will be released in full tomorrow.
Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon insists “I feel better than five, six or seven years ago”.
The 40-year-old left Juventus in the summer after 17 years, but rather than retiring he opted to continue his career in Ligue 1.
“I had no idea how the other players would view me, and I even felt a little apprehensive,” Buffon admitted an interview with France Football, which will be released in full tomorrow.
“After 40 years in Italy it’s never easy to change your life and environment overnight. Sometimes we end up building a comfort zone, and through fear or laziness we refuse to leave it because the new is always scary.
“I’m the complete opposite of that, I like to challenge myself. I’m a fiend for competition, I like to progress, face difficulties and understand what needs to be done to overcome them.
“If you were to ask me ‘do you feel different today compared to age 35?’, I’d say: ‘I think I’m better’.
“Even I sometimes think ‘that’s not possible’, when I come home that’s what I say to myself: ‘it’s not possible’.
“And yet deep down I feel better than five, six or seven years ago. I can’t say why.
“Maybe it’s because I’ve changed my approach to work a bit. At my age, everything is a motivation.”
Buffon was also asked about competing with Kevin Trapp and Alphonse Areola.
“There’s a really good relationship and for me, before being teammates, they’re like brothers. Genuinely.
“Their attitude in daily work is exemplary, and in a squad it’s important to have a lot of respect and esteem for each other. We’ve already got that starting point.
“Football has changed a lot, a team like Paris Saint-Germain plays about sixty matches in a season, and I hope we can play some more this season…
“It therefore seems unthinkable to me to only have one starter in goal, so it’s totally logical to have three goalkeepers.”