He was the instrumental midfielder of the Marcello Lippi era and one of the best enforcers of recent times; now Edgar Davids has been stressing the virtue of patience as he paid an unexpected visit to Juventus training ground.

Accompanied by team manager and ex-team-mate Gianluca Pessotto, Davids, who now plays in one of the Dutch lower leagues, was greeted warmly by all, especially David Trezeguet and Mauro Camoranesi.

The 35-year-old spent a few minutes observing the training match going on and then spoke with great affection of his time in the peninsula, according to Tuttosport. I always keep an eye on Juve and the Italian league, he said.

The fans must be patient, when you are reconstructing a winning team it takes time; it cant all be done in two days. I follow the youngsters particularly and things are looking good, but they too need time.

When he was questioned as to who his heir might be, Edgar was diplomatic. I dont like to make those kinds of comparisons, he stated.