Gianluigi Buffon is extending his remarkable a career for at least another season after completing a stunning return to Juventus on a one-year contract.

Just as he did upon joining Paris Saint-Germain 12 months ago, the Italy legend has shelved thoughts of retirement and will once again intend on challenging for the number one shirt at a dominant domestic force.

It will be the Parma product s 25th season as a professional but, even with his World Cup and nine Serie A titles, the 41-year-old is not alone in at least one respect.

Here are seven  other football legends who, like Buffon, carried on playing into their fifth decade.

RYAN GIGGS

Wales manager Ryan Giggs was an ultimate one-club man, staying at Manchester United for the entirety of his glit…

Cristiano Ronaldo will add another record to his collection by making a milestone 128th Portugal appearance against Austria on Saturday.

Ronaldo drew level with previous record-holder Luis Figo when he played in the 1-1 draw with Euro 2016 Group F opponents Iceland on Tuesday.

The Real Madrid star will now take sole possession of the benchmark when he steps onto the pitch in Paris having been named in Fernando Santos starting line-up.

It has been almost 13 years since Ronaldo made his senior international debut as a second-half substitute in a 1-0 victory over Kazakhstan in August 2003.

The 31-year-old has been Portugal s permanent captain since 2008 and is also his nation s record goalscorer with 58 strikes.

Portugal team to play Austria: Patrici…

Vicente del Bosque is set to resign from his position as head coach of Spain.

Following discussions with Spanish Football Federation chief Angel Maria Villar, the 65-year-old confirmed the end of his eight-year reign in an interview on Spanish public radio on Thursday.

The decision comes after the national team exited Euro 2016 at the last-16 stage. Del Bosque had previously stated he would not continue in his role after the tournament in France.

Without a doubt, I have no intention to remain as coach, but you have to be discreet. No matter what the result of the Euros, I had no doubt about what my future would be, he told RNE.

Having taken over from Luis Aragones following Spain s victory at Euro 2008, Del Bosque led his country to World Cup …

Euro 2022 winner Jill Scott believes England can overcome the absence of key players to claim World Cup glory this summer.

Manager Sarina Wiegman’s preparations for the tournament in Australia and New Zealand, which begins in July, have been hampered by the loss of some star names to injury.

The European champions will be without captain Leah Williamson and midfielder Fran Kirby due to long-term knee problems while another casualty, forward Beth Mead, is rated highly doubtful having been sidelined since November.

With two more experienced campaigners in Scott herself and Ellen White having retired since last year’s European success at Wembley, there could be a very different feel to the Lionesses squad.

Scott told the PA news agency: “Obviously we�…

Former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness was released from prison on parole on Monday midway through a three-and-a-half-year sentence for tax evasion, the Bavarian Ministry of Justice has confirmed.

Hoeness was released the night before the scheduled February 29 date to spare the 64-year-old the attention of the media.

The 1974 World Cup-winner was convicted in March 2014 and sent to prison the following June having evaded €28.5million in taxes a figure finally acknowledged by his legal team after Hoeness was initially charged with attempting to evade €3.5m.

It remains to be seen if he returns to Bayern and, if so, in what capacity.

Having made over 300 appearances as a player for the club, he served as sporting director for 30 years before ass…

Robert Snodgrass completed an impressive seven days as his stunning last-gasp free-kick earned Hull City a 1-1 Premier League draw at Burnley.

The winger netted a hat-trick for Scotland against Malta last Sunday in a 5-1 World Cup qualifying rout, and he showed his set-piece prowess with the final kick of the game at Turf Moor.

Hull will feel the point is the least they deserve, having hit the woodwork twice while Adama Diomande missed a gilt-edged opportunity at 0-0.

But Mike Phelan s side found themselves behind in the 72nd minute when Steven Defour netted his first Burnley goal with a swerving 30-yard drive into the bottom-right corner.

Hull had already seen David Meyler strike the post and Diomande err from six yards, and Curtis Davies header again…

Marcus Rashford is reaping the benefits of getting back to basics this season, according to Manchester United legend Andrew Cole.

England forward Rashford endured a desperately disappointing 2021-22 campaign for the Red Devils, in which he scored only five times in 32 matches across all competitions as United finished sixth in the Premier League.

This term, Rashford already has three in six – scoring once in the 2-1 win over Liverpool and celebrating a brace in a 3-1 triumph against Arsenal.

While his improvement in form failed to yield an England recall for the Nations League matches against Italy and Germany, Cole – who won five Premier League titles and was part of the famous treble-winning team of the 1998-99 season – is happy to see Rashford back among…

Bayern Munich have warned Manchester United that they will never allow Thomas Muller to follow in the footsteps of Bastian Schweinsteiger and let him move to Old Trafford.

United previously lured Schweinsteiger away from the Allianz Arena and they have been linked with a move for Muller on more than one occasion.

Nevertheless, supervisory board member Edmund Stoiber has stressed Muller s situation is nothing like that of Schweinsteiger back in 2015.

It should not be happening that someone like Thomas Muller plays for Manchester United, Stoiber told Bild.

The fans were already a bit unhappy when Schweinsteiger left us for Manchester United. But he was already 32 and wanted a new challenge. But our fans and members would never forgive us if we sold Muller…

Kemar Roofe scored an extra-time winner as Rangers secured their place in the Europa League semi-finals with a 3-1 victory over nine-man Braga, who lost 3-2 on aggregate.

James Tavernier s first-half double, including a penalty awarded after Vitor Tormena was dismissed for a foul on Roofe, put Rangers in control with a 2-1 aggregate lead.

David Carmo s 83rd-minute header sent the tie into extra-time before Roofe, who had two goals disallowed, netted the decisive strike prior to Iuri Medeiros being given his marching orders.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst s men will next face RB Leipzig, who defeated Atalanta 3-1 on aggregate on Thursday, with the first leg of the last-four clash coming on April 28.

— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC)

Ran…

Neymar s injury is a real hard blow to Paris Saint-Germain ahead of the Champions League resuming, Lyon coach Rudi Garcia said.

The Brazil forward was ruled out for up to four weeks after suffering an adductor injury in PSG s Coupe de France clash with Caen on Wednesday.

Neymar will miss Tuesday s trip to Camp Nou to face his former club Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, while he is also in doubt for the return clash.

Garcia, whose team are second in the Ligue 1 table ahead of PSG by a point, said the injury was a major setback for Mauricio Pochettino s men.

It would be good if the two French teams could represent us with dignity and go as far as possible in the European Cup. It s a real hard blow, Garcia told a news confe…