Gianluigi Buffon backs Guglielmo Vicario to revive career at Juventus after Tottenham struggles

Gianluigi Buffon has backed Guglielmo Vicario to succeed at Juventus after the goalkeeper completed a late summer move from Tottenham.

Vicario joined the Serie A giants on an initial loan with an option to buy after attracting significant interest in Italy.

Inter Milan had initially agreed personal terms with the 29-year-old before moving in another direction, while Napoli also considered a move. Juventus eventually acted quickly to secure his signature, and Vicario has already established himself as Luciano Spalletti's first-choice goalkeeper.

Buffon believes the move could be exactly what the Italy international needs.

Few people understand the demands of playing in goal for Juventus better than Buffon.

The legendary goalkeeper spent the majority of his career in Turin and believes Vicario should embrace the opportunity rather than allow pressure to overwhelm him.

"I only gave Guglielmo one piece of advice – enjoy the experience," Buffon said.

"Playing for Juventus is a privilege. Wherever you go, you sense the importance of the shirt."

Vicario has immediately been trusted by Spalletti, starting each of Juventus' opening three Serie A matches.

His performances have already offered encouragement that the difficulties he experienced towards the end of his Tottenham career have been left behind.

Vicario's final period at Spurs was considerably more difficult than his impressive introduction to English football.

His performances attracted increasing criticism as Tottenham struggled collectively, but Buffon believes much of the judgement surrounding the goalkeeper was unfair.

He argued that Vicario became a victim of Tottenham's wider problems rather than being responsible for them.

"He's judged by many people who don't fully understand the goalkeeper's role," Buffon explained.

"Vicario was heavily criticised in his last year at Tottenham, but he's coming off a formative experience; he was a key player and a winner in the Premier League.

"Last season he paid the price, because when a team goes bad, 99.99% of the time, the goalkeeper also suffers."

It is a significant endorsement from one of the greatest goalkeepers in Juventus history.

The early evidence suggests Vicario is responding positively to his change of environment.

He produced an important save during Juventus' victory over Parma at a crucial stage of the contest and followed that performance with another assured display against AC Milan.

That represents an encouraging beginning for a goalkeeper whose confidence had come under pressure at Tottenham.

Vicario had previously impressed during Ange Postecoglou's first campaign in north London. His difficulties became more pronounced as problems developed throughout the team, even though he was not entirely without individual errors.

Juventus now provide him with a more stable environment under Spalletti and an opportunity to rebuild his reputation in his homeland.

If his opening performances are any indication, the move is already beginning to have the desired effect.

Vicario now has the opportunity to establish himself permanently as Juventus' first-choice goalkeeper.

Continued strong performances would strengthen the possibility of Juventus exercising their option to buy and turning his temporary Tottenham departure into a permanent transfer.

With Spalletti providing a stable platform and Buffon publicly backing him, the coming months represent a major opportunity for Vicario to rebuild his reputation and secure his long-term future in Turin.