ITALY legend Christian Vieri looks set to make a surprise return to soccer, with Chinese side Jiangsu Suning hoping to sign him.

    The former Inter, Juventus and AC Milan striker played for the Azzurri between 1997 and 2006 and is remembered for many things, but perhaps most infamously for his crucial miss at the 2002 World Cup when Italy was knocked out by South Korea in the round of 16.

    Seven years on from his retirement, according to reports from gazzetta.it, Vieri is in talks with Chinese Super League club Jiangsu Suning, the owner of Serie A side Inter, for a potential return to the pitch.

    The 43-year-old also said through social media that he is back and will play in China.

    Vieri was a member of the Inter squad between 1999 and 2005, winning the Coppa Italia with them, while he also has a Serie A title, a Supercoppa Italiana and a UEFA Super Cup title to his name.

    His career saw him grab 212 goals in 413 games overall.

    Vieri claimed in an Instagram post that he was on his way to losing the weight in order to get to peak physical condition to perform. Having started out at over 100 kg, he was down to 91 kg at the moment.

    While Vieri isn’t the first player who has been lured to the Chinese Super League (CSL) with offers of a huge remuneration package, he looks set to be the oldest. Graziano Pelle and Demba Ba have signed for CSL clubs recently, continuing an exodus that began in earnest in the previous transfer window. Former Chelsea player Ramires grabbed headlines recently after he lost his temper and moved to take his frustrations out on a referee.

    Still, as an experienced international and somewhat of a legend, the former Serie A footballer of the year is sure to make a huge impact if he does manage to follow through on his claim of a comeback, whether fans are intrigued to see if he can still play, or they buy his jerseys simply to have a piece of memorabilia from one of the greatest players in recent memory.

    (SD-Agencies)