Italian legend DINO ZOFF on why whatever decision Allan Mcgregor makes on his future will be the right thing for the keeper

As the oldest-ever World Cup winner, Dino Zoff knows better than anyone what can be achieved at an age when others have long since stood down.

The legendary goalkeeper was 40 years, four months and 13 days old when he captained Italy to glory in the 1982 Final against West Germany.

He did not stop there either, playing on until he was 41 to set records for oldest Serie A player and most Serie A appearances (570), which stood for over two decades.

And as speculation mounts over whether Allan Mcgregor will opt to carry on past his 41st birthday or retire at the end of the season, he insists only the Scot himself will know whether his time is up.

“Mcgregor is a goalkeeper who has always shown that he has great qualities,” said Zoff.

“He has enjoyed a very long and prestigious career not only with his club, Rangers, but also in his years wearing the jersey of Scotland.

“Because of this I am sure that no one better than him can assess whether the time has come to retire or not.

“Only he can know if he still has the chance to do himself justice by turning in performances equal to his qualities.

We do not have to be good runners we just need to be able to get our bodies to the ball quickly

“Whatever he decides to do will certainly be the right thing.”

Zoff believes the question it is not one of whether he feels his body is up to the challenge of playing on but his mind.

Concentration is crucial when you are a team’s last line of defence and Mcgregor has had arguably had an issue in this regard this season.

He has produced some stunning saves and performances but has also made uncharacteristic errors.

They cost his side points away at Ross County and at home to Hearts. There were a fair few fans too, who questioned his part in Celtic’s goals in last Sunday’s derby defeat to Celtic.

“For me, I do not think age is the key factor for keepers,” he said.

“The role of the position is obviously different from that of outfield players. We do not have to be good runners we just need to be able to get our bodies to the ball quickly.

“In this respect, reflexes count a lot and they can be improved through training.

“Experience, something that is acquired over the years, is also very important because it tells what position you need to be in at any given time.

“There have been and still are goalkeepers who are over 40. “Take Gigi Buffon, for example. “He is 44 years old yet despite his age, when he goes out on the pitch with Parma he still shows all the enthusiasm he did when he was first starting his career.”

Buffon, whose total of 176 caps for Italy dwarves even Zoff’s own