Juventus and Italy number one Gianluigi Buffon has asserted that he will consider retirement from football when the time comes that he is considered surplus to requirements by the Azzurri.

The 31-year-old shot-stopper is set to make his 100th appearance for the Nazionale when he takes to the field for their friendly with Holland on Saturday evening, having made a speedy recovery from a flu virus.

And the former Parma custodian, who has made over 400 Serie A appearances, declared that his retirement from the game as a whole would inevitably follow soon after his relinquishment of the national team's No.1 jersey.

"100 games? It's a nice number, but one like the rest. The National team is always important, and it will also determine the end of my career. When Italy no longer calls me, I will be very very close to retiring," he said.

Meanwhile, the 2006 World Cup winner has revealed that he has been playing with an injury in recent weeks, and will have surgery to fix a meniscus on his right knee as soon as he has seen Juve through crucial upcoming games against Inter Milan and Bayern Munich.

"I will play against Inter and Bayern, and then I will have the operation after that," he is quoated as saying