Del Piero proud of latest Juve milestone

In new signing Miloš Krašić, many Juventus fans believe they have found a new Pavel Nedvěd, but the club's mission to find a striker to rival Alessandro Del Piero may prove impossible, with the 35-year-old equalling another club record on Sunday.

Del Piero already holds the records for the most appearances (645) and goals (277) in all competitions for the Turin side, but his strike in Sunday's 4-0 win against US Lecce saw him match former club president Giampiero Boniperti's haul of 178 for the club in Serie A. Five minutes after coming on as a substitute, Del Piero collected a ball from the impressive Krašić, beat his marker and found the top corner of the net with his left foot.

"I'm extremely happy with this goal because it allows me to join a real legend like Boniperti on 178 goals," Del Piero said. "I will call him just as I have been doing every now and then. He won't be angry because I matched his record. In fact, I'm sure he will be glad. I'm very proud and happy."

Boniperi, now 82, played for Juve between 1946 and 1961 and is the club's honorary president. "I'm never pleased when my records get beaten, but it is a different matter with Alex," Boniperti said. "He is like a son to me. I brought him here as club president and I saw how quickly he developed."

At the moment, the two club stalwarts are happy to share the Serie A record, but chances are that it will be Del Piero's alone before too long, with the striker showing no desire to hang up his boots, even though he will turn 36 in November. "I don't care how long I keep playing for," he said. "I only want to play well and for the time being I'm satisfied with my performances."

Meanwhile, Del Piero received plaudits from a host of Serie A peers, notably from another one-club player, AS Roma captain Francesco Totti, who wrote on his personal website: "Grande, Ale. You are a true stalwart for your club. I congratulate you for this new milestone you have reached."