Bayern Munich star Neuer has turned 40 years old this week as one of the best goalkeepers of all time edges closer to retirement.
Neuer has yet to decide whether he will continue playing or retire from football as his contract with the German giants is set to expire at the end of the season.
The shot stopper faces a tough choice, but Buffon has maybe given him something to think about as he jokes that he has many years ahead of him.
"(At his age) I’d only just moved to Paris Saint-Germain! So he can carry on for another five years (laughs). No, please don’t. He should retire when he feels it’s the right time. I was a bit mad back then; I thought that if I went to Paris, I’d win the Golden Glove for best goalkeeper again," Buffon told FC Bayern’s club magazine, 51.
"I wish him all the very best from the bottom of my heart and congratulate him on his career at the very highest level. And I’d like to tell him not to rush into a decision, but to take his time and listen to his inner voice. Unlike the rest of us goalkeepers, he doesn’t have to make a decision in a fraction of a second, but rather the right one."
Neuer has made 590 appearances for FC Bayern, 203 for Schalke 04, and represented Germany 124 times before retiring from international football in 2024.
His retirement from club football may not come soon, however, as the season comes to a close.