Udinese goalkeeper Simone Scuffet has stated that he is looking to follow in the footstpes of Juventus and Italy icon Gianluigi Buffon.

The 17 year old starlet has lit up Serie A since his debut only a month ago with some stunning displays, leaving many admirers to claim Scuffet as the “next Gigi Buffon”.

“My family taught me you need to be humble and dedicated to your work,” he stated to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I must thank Francesco Guidolin as he is responsible for me being in this position right now. He had great courage that day in Bologna to pick me.

“It would be wonderful and a dream to follow Buffon’s footsteps. How marvellous it would be to win what he has for Juventus and with the Italy shirt.

“As for Samir Handanovic, I would love to be able to attack the ball the same way he does.

“I do feel that it’s up to me to prove I am worthy of playing alongside the senior members of the squad, though it is not easy.

“There are many forwards I fear facing in Serie A, but then I have the privilege of training with Antonio Di Natale. When he gets that bend on the ball, there’s nothing you can do.”

In nine matches the hot prospect has earned much praise, especially after his spectacular display against Inter a week ago, he is now being tipped to be the third goalkeeper for the Italy squad in Brazil this summer.

“For now I am very happy and I’ll wait to see what happens next season. If I think that at the start of the year I was the fourth choice goalkeeper at Udinese, then knowing I am now a starter is something to be truly proud of.”