Gianluigi Buffon has described Paris Saint-Germain teammate Marco Verratti as "the only real talent" in Italian football.
The Italian goalkeeper left Juventus in the summer before joining the French champions where he has been reunited with Verratti, who he played alongside for the Italy national side.
And asked his opinion on the midfielder, Buffon said he was so good that "normal players" struggle to play on his wavelength.
"Marco is a really incredible player," Buffon, 40, told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "At this moment, the only real talent in Italian football, for his personality with which he plays matches, for his touch, his vision.
"So much so that, sometimes, if he plays with normal players, he struggles because they don't understand him. Sometimes, the great players find difficulty in being understood by others.
"But I have to say that, here, Marco is lucky to play alongside great players who are immediately able to understand where the ball will go and where they want it so you see that all his moves are facilitated."
Buffon retired from international football in November 2017 following Italy's failure to reach the World Cup. However, he played one more match under interim coach Luigi Di Biagio in March before Roberto Mancini was given the role as permanent manager.
And the PSG goalkeeper hinted that Mancini had offered him the chance to continue being a part of the national setup but he turned it down.
"For the national side, I have sometimes given a little more," Buffon said. "And sometimes it hasn't been recognised.
"Unfortunately, at 40, you don't have that much desire to appear the one who has to be there by any means necessary.
"I'm happy at home with my children, my family who I have a lot of time time away from because of the national side. So I told the manager exactly this. He understood and respected my thoughts."