The Italian shotstopper won the Golden Glove for the most Premier League clean sheets in the 2002/03 season while at Chelsea and then-England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson explored if he’d be able to select him for his squad.

But while Carlo was flattered, he admitted he wouldn’t have agreed even if he’d been allowed.

He told FourFourTwo magazine: “We had a conversation where he asked if I’d consider playing for England.

“It was a great honour, because England are one of the big footballing countries.

“It didn’t happen for different reasons, but coming from Italy – also such a big footballing country – I didn’t feel it was right, and I think there was a sentiment on the other side that they didn’t want a foreign player in the national team.

“So, it was just for a moment, but even to be considered made me very proud.”

The 51-year-old former player began his career at AC Milan, where his father, Fabio, had also been a goalkeeper but he didn’t feel too much pressure.

He said: “I took the positives of having a father with great knowledge and experience in football. He advised me.

“When you get closer to professional level, comparisons are made, but it didn’t feel as if I was carrying a weight on my shoulders.

“My father stopped playing football the year before I was born, so I didn’t have the chance to see him play or to experience the family life of a footballer.”