Andrea Pirlo is a couple of weeks away from turning 40 when I ask him how he'd like to be remembered on his milestone birthday.
'Good player, good person. Class. On the pitch and outside of it,' he replies, without so much as a second thought.
Describing yourself as 'class' might be seen as a sign of arrogance for most former players, but not for Pirlo. It just seems to fit.
With the same slight frame and wavy locks of his playing days, Pirlo certainly still looks like he could effortlessly dictate a game in America's top-flight.
But after calling time on his 22-year career, he insists that – unlike so many recently retired players - he does not miss gliding around midfield or the camaraderie of the changing room. Not yet, anyway.
'No, I'm good,' he says when asked if he has missed football, seemingly acknowledging that others in his position may have not coped with the transition quite so well.
'When I decided to stop playing it was the perfect time. I was tired and I had pain, so it was the right time. In this moment I don't miss the game. I'm good at home.
'Now I'm working on the TV (as a pundit), with Serie A and the Champions League.
'I don't spend too much time on that. I like to stay with family, with friends.'
Pirlo is a family man. His Instagram account is littered with pictures and videos of his four children Niccolo, Angela, Leonardo and Tommaso, and girlfriend Valentina.
It is that - combined with his laid-back attitude - which make his next words come as somewhat of a surprise.
'I'm studying to become a coach,' he reveals.
'I have to do the last licence in September and after that, maybe it will be good for me to become a coach.'
If Pirlo does go on to pursue a career in management, the work of two Chelsea bosses - one current and one former - are likely to impact the way he goes about things.
He admits to being a big admirer of compatriot Maurizio Sarri and counts Antonio Conte as his favourite manager after working with him for both club and country.
He is, however, not a fan of the way the Premier League club deal with those in charge.
'It's not easy for him (Sarri),' he says.
'He needs time to adapt the players to the new system. For me he is a very good coach. The supporters have to stay very calm.'
And what about Conte?
'For me he's the best manager I had in my career,' he continues.
'At Chelsea he did good work - he won the Premier League and the FA Cup. Maybe he had a problem with the owner and now he's free.
'If you see the history of the club over the last 10 years, they changed too many coaches. The problem is not the coach, maybe it's the club.'
Pirlo appears similarly baffled by the way Chelsea conduct their transfer business. Carlo Ancelotti wanted to bring him to Stamford Bridge in 2009, but the club's rules on signing older players scuppered a deal.
He insists, however, that he has no regrets about not playing in the Premier League, having also rejected the opportunity to join Manchester City in 2011.
'I had the chance to come (to the Premier League) with (Carlo) Ancelotti to Chelsea and with Manchester City when I went to Juventus,' he says.
'Chelsea said that I was very old - 30 years old! And the other time I preferred to come to Juventus.
'For sure it would have been a fantastic experience but I'm happy that I decided to stay in Italy.'
While Pirlo opted to spend two decades playing in his home country, Cristiano Ronaldo made a shock move to Serie A last summer, swapping Real Madrid for a fresh start with Juve.
The Italian hopes the arrival – and subsequent impact – of one of the world's biggest superstars can reignite the division and help bring back the glory days of the nineties.
'I was surprised because it's very difficult to get Ronaldo to Juventus but it's important for Serie A. He improves the league, he improves the other teams. It's important for the country.
'We hope that Ronaldo is a trendsetter and more big names will follow him.'
And could a move across the pond be next for the former Manchester United man?
'I don't know,' admits Pirlo, who is back in the States for Heineken's Champions League Trophy Tour visit to the Big Apple.
'He has two or three years on his contract with Juventus and after then it's possible that he comes to the USA or to another country.
'I was very happy to play here. It was an important experience for me, for my family. I've been around the city many times, going to restaurants with friends.'
On bringing the trophy to New York, he adds: 'It's important because the Champions League is the most prestigious trophy for clubs. People outside of Europe understand how much it means.
'When I was playing in the US, many, many people watch the games. To see the trophy in the US and in New York in this moment, it's very nice. They understand how important it is.'
Pirlo, who made sure to dine at his favourite place in the city's trendy meatpacking district during his visit, counts a vineyard among his business interests: 'I don't work every day to make the wine, but I like good wine.'
He remains an avid watcher of football, particularly the Champions League, where one young player caught his eye more than any other during Ajax's incredible run to the semi-finals.
'At the moment, for me, Frenkie de Jong is the best,' he says matter-of-factly. 'He has the personality, the technique, everything to play in this position.'
Pirlo even admits that the Barcelona-bound midfielder reminds him of himself.
'It's the vision,' he adds. 'He knows the field and the movement of the other players. He is a very good player.'