Antonio Di Natale's 185th goal may see change of heart on retirement
Former Italy international is eyeing a place further up the table as he reconsiders decision to end career at the end of this season
Antonio Di Natale moved into select company after scoring his 185th Serie A goal, the winning strike in Udinese's 1-0 victory over AC Milan.
The 36-year-old's 62nd-minute tap-in lifted Di Natale past Gabriel Batistuta into 10th spot in the all-time Serie A scorers' chart.
Now the former Italy international is eyeing a place further up the table, with former Lazio forward Giuseppe Signori and World Cup winner Alessandro Del Piero only three goals away on 188.
"I'll try to reach Del Piero's total. [Francesco] Totti's number will be unreachable, but the 188 goals scored by Del Piero is definitely doable," Di Natale said.
Di Natale could see himself end his career at number seven in the charts, with Swedish striker Kurt Hamrin's total of 190 looking more than attainable.
[Francesco] Totti's number will be unreachable, but the 188 goals scored by Del Piero is definitely doable
He announced that he would retire at the end of the season after a 3-1 home defeat by Hellas Verona in January, a move that shocked the fans and manager Francesco Guidolin.
However, he said he was reconsidering that decision last week, and should he carry on next season he would almost certainly be looking at overtaking Roberto Baggio on 205 goals.
Di Natale is from Napoli in the south of Italy, but has spent his entire soccer career further north, spending eight years at Tuscan club Empoli before moving to Udinese, who are close to the border with Slovenia, in 2004.
Many clubs have come knocking for him over the years including his hometown team, but he has always remained faithful to a provincial club that has never won a major trophy in its 117-year history.
Di Natale and Udinese are small in stature, but over the last decade they have both punched well above their weight.
"I've played in the Champions League, the Uefa Cup, two European Championships and a World Cup," Di Natale said last week. "I could've won more elsewhere, but I made my choice and I do not regret it. I'd do it all over again.
"I've been here for more than 10 years. My family's here and I'm happy here. Everything I do is for this city," said the striker.
"What we need to do now is get enough points for safety. If I happen to score goals as well, I'll be happy."
