Gianluigi Buffon could play on at the highest level for another two years, according to the Juventus goalkeeper's agent Silvano Martina.
Buffon, 40, was expected to bring an end to his career at the end of the current season, but after being offered another call-up to the Italy squad this month, he is currently considering playing on.
Martina says he just needs to feel he can still make an important contribution, but he says there is no rush for him to make up his mind.
"It's still soon," Martina told RMC Sport. "Time will tell how he feels. If he carries on, he wants to be a protagonist and not in the shadows. I also think he's still looking good and he could play on for another two years, but he needs to have that fire burning inside him which spurs you on.
"It's up to him to decide by himself if he wants to continue or not."
Buffon's announced return to the Italy squad for friendlies against Argentina and England has drawn mixed reactions, with Fabio Cannavaro -- who won the World Cup with Buffon in 2006 -- saying it is not the right sign for Italy to call up veteran players as they look to rebuild after failing to qualify for the World Cup.
Martina feels that Buffon, who was named the Best FIFA Goalkeeper for 2017, is still at the top of his game, but that any mistake he does commit now is taken unnecessarily out of context.
"Nowadays you get the feeling that people no longer have any sympathy for footballers," he said. "Nowadays, footballers get judged by mistakes and not how they play. Against Tottenham, even a youngster could have committed that mistake and everybody is immediately sentencing him, particularly on social media."