Gigi Buffon has emerged as the world’s best goalkeeper in the last 25 years, announced the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.

The Juventus and Italy shot-stopper came out on top in a calculation of votes from 1987 to 2012 by ‘selected editorial staff and experts from all the football continents.’

Buffon was top, followed by Spain and Real Madrid captain Iker Casillas in second and Edwin Van Der Sar in third.

Peter Schmeichel and Oliver Kahn completed the top five positions.

Fellow Italian Walter Zenga was the next-highest placed Azzurro in joint eighth place with Andoni Zubizarreta.