There’s a good reason that most athletes retire before they hit their mid 30s, so it takes a combination of luck and an incredible strength of character to keep playing into your 40s.
Goalkeepers are the exception because they don’t need to charge around the pitch like outfield players do, while you could make comparisons to certain quarterbacks in the NFL too.
The position is changing and the younger mobile players are starting to take over, but Tom Brady is still going strong at the age of 43 as he led Tampa Bay to the Super Bowl at the weekend.
Gigi Buffon is also turning 43 this week so there aren’t many in his position, and it appears that he’s delighted to hear about the comparisons with Brady.
Football Italia reported on some of his comments when he was asked about Brady, while he also spoke about the possibility of playing on next season:
“That’s good to know. It means I am not an exception, we can try to break the taboos and some stereotypes about older athletes.
“I am not even thinking about that! Someone like me at the age of 43 has to just take it one day at a time. I want to celebrate my birthday and that is already an achievement.”
Buffon’s career has taken a slightly different arc to Brady’s as the late move in his career didn’t work out and he had to return to the club where he saw most of his success, but it’s amazing to see both athletes still playing at the top level at this stage of their careers.