Since his emergence as a precocious talent in his youth, Buffon has been renowned for his consistent performances throughout his career, and has received praise from managers, players, as well as both present and former goalkeeping colleagues, for his concentration and calm composure under pressure, as well as his work-rate, and longevity. Regarded as one of the best players ever in his position, he is often considered to be the archetype of the modern goalkeeper, and has been cited by many other subsequent goalkeepers as a major influence and role model. He has been described as "an agile, strong, and commanding shot-stopper, who is hugely experienced at the highest level" and "an accomplished and well respected keeper" with an "xcellent positional sense, courage, power and class". Buffon has been praised for his athleticism, his "outstanding shot-stopping", his acrobatic dives, and his quick reflexes, as well as his ability to produce decisive saves, despite being a tall, large and physically imposing goalkeeper. Although he has at times been criticised for not being particularly adept at stopping penalties, he has also proven to be effective in this area, as demonstrated by his penalty-saving record; With 15 saves, he has stopped the sixth–highest number of penalties in Serie A history.