There are few more experienced footballers than Gianluigi Buffon. The 37-year-old has played at the highest level for his whole career. In that time, the keeper has faced some of football's greatest strikers.
Speaking to the Daily Record before Juventus take on Real Madrid in their Champions League semi-final second leg, Buffon listed off some of the best forwards he has played against. Amongst those was Celtic legend Henrik Larsson.
Over my career I have played against some of the best strikers there has ever been. Both Ronaldos, Roberto Baggio, Zlatan Ibrahimovic – and I can honestly say Larsson is not out of place in those names. I faced him against Celtic and Sweden and he was a player to fear, he was very special.
Celtic got his best years and I am sure the fans will always remember how fantastic it was to have one of the best players in the world for so many seasons.
One of the occasions on which Buffon faced up against the Swede was Juventus vs Celtic in the 2001 Champions League group stages. Juventus won 3-2 that night, somewhat controversially. Afterwards, Martin O'Neill gave one of the great post-match interviews.
Picture credit; Brendan Moran/SPORTSFILE
