Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has been hailed as he enters his third decade as a professional footballer when his side face AC Milan.
Buffon, 37, marked 20 years since making his Serie A debut in midweek and, after shaking off a thigh injury which had threatened to rule him out this Saturday, he declared on Thursday that he is ready to face the side against whom his career began two decades ago.
"From Milan to Milan -- the game with the greatest significance, however, was that debut 20 years ago," Buffon told Mediaset television.
"It was my first day with the big boys. My memories of that debut are indelible; they will never be lost.
"From the trepidation of knowing what faith was being placed in me to the great joy of finally being able to know and to show my value, through to the awareness of what an opportunity I was being given.
"It was a turbine of emotions. [Parma coach] Nevio Scala knocked on my door and asked me if I felt up for playing. With a bit of youthful arrogance, I told him that it was precisely what I was there for, and that reassured him.
"Many of the first-team players acted as my tutor. I was regarded as everybody's little lad at Parma, also because I was a bit 'wild.'"
Scala, the man who launched Buffon's career in such a big match, also recalled how taken aback he was by Buffon's willingness to prove himself that day.
"I was doing my usual round of knocking on the players' doors and when I got to Gigi's room, I asked 'you're playing tomorrow, what do you think?' and he said 'what's the problem, boss?,'" Scala said in La Gazzetta dello Sport. "It was a risk giving him his debut, but Gigi became the best around."
That is a common tribute to the Juve and Italy No. 1, with his former Parma teammate Faustino Asprilla branding him "a legend -- compliments to my big friend and colleague," and former Italy coach Marcello Lippi hailing his "first 20 years as a professional."
Lippi was there when Buffon celebrated the greatest moment of his career almost 10 years ago.
"There have been many, many great moments," Buffon said. "Maybe the ultimate, collectively speaking, was winning the World Cup in 2006. It's true, I still haven't won a European Championship or the Champions League, but I've won all the rest, which is all well and good given the long career I've had, full of trophies.
"There are some I've not yet won and maybe I'll never win them, but even if I don't it will not take anything away from the satisfaction I have for what I have achieved."
Buffon is set to go up against Milan's 16-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma on Saturday.
"He's got to think about growing slowly without letting the pressure of being among the pros get to him," Buffon said. "He's already delivered a great signal by coping with playing at the age of 16 for Milan with all the media pressure that brings.
"He's debuted one year younger than me and the signs are going in the same direction, so it's up to him now. His first few outings suggest that he could have an extraordinary career, and I wish it to him with all my heart because these are the most beautiful emotions life gives you.
"My advice to him would be to try to mature as quickly as possible, to understand the rights and wrongs in this context."