Like Buffon, the Liverpool player who could announce his retirement in a surprise move

At the age of 45 and after a career that saw him win a World Cup with Italy, win a huge number of trophies with Juventus and be regarded as one of football's greatest goalkeepers, Gianluigi Buffon announced his retirement on Wednesday. Buffon still had a season left on his contract with Italian Serie B side Parma, so he says goodbye at the same club where he began his professional career nearly three decades ago. 

"This is it, friends! They gave me everything. I gave you everything. We achieved everything together," Buffon wrote on Instagram as a message as he attached a video of his career highlights. The pinnacle of Buffon's career came at the 2006 World Cup. He conceded just two goals as the Azzurri marched to lift the cup.

Neither of those goals were scored on set-pieces by his opponents. One was an own goal by team-mate Cristian Zaccardo and the other was a penalty taken by Zinedine Zidane during the final. "I could count on Buffon for 25 years, first with Juve and then with the national team - his greatness as a footballer and as a man," said former coach Marcello Lippi, who called for Buffon to take up a position with the national team. 

<strong>He too is set to retire</strong>

Like Buffon, the Liverpool player who could make a surprise announcement of his retirement from football is Spanish goalkeeper Adrian, who has signed a one-year contract extension with the Reds, but after that year several sources suggest that he will stop playing and continue his footballing duties.