Juventus icon Gigi Buffon has sung the praises of Tottenham striker Harry Kane.

Buffon, who has never won the Champions League, will face Kane's Tottenham in the first knockout round in ­February.

“Harry is now one of the best strikers in ­Europe – there is no question about that," Buffon told the Mirror. “As a player, you can always work on parts of your game and try to ­improve – but there are some things you can't teach.

“That natural goalscoring instinct is for me a talent that you are born with. I have seen over the years with Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Inzaghi, Batistuta, they have that natural instinct that can really make goalkeepers suffer – and it's clear Kane also has that.

“Always in my ­career I have wanted to test myself against the best – and now Harry Kane is one of the best. I have always had the attitude that I don't fear the best – I respect them – and I always want to play against them."