Biography
Who is Pepe Reina?
Early life and career
Pepe Reina began his football career in the youth academy of Barcelona in 1995. He played for the Barcelona reserve side before making his debut for the first team during the 2000 01 season. He made 19 appearances in that La Liga season and also played in the UEFA Cup.
During his time with the club, he served as an understudy and made his UEFA Champions League debut in October 2001 against Fenerbahce. After Barcelona signed Robert Enke, Pepe was told he was free to leave the team.
Villarreal and Liverpool
In July 2002, Pepe Reina joined Villarreal and spent three seasons with the club. He helped the team reach the semi final of the UEFA Cup in 2004 and qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in history.
Pepe was signed by Liverpool from Villarreal in July 2005. He immediately became the first choice goalkeeper, replacing Jerzy Dudek. In his first season, he won the FA Cup after saving three out of four penalties in the final against West Ham United. He also won the FA Community Shield and reached the Champions League final in 2007, where Liverpool lost to AC Milan.
Records and awards
Pepe set multiple defensive records during his time at Liverpool. He broke the club record for successive clean sheets in the Premier League and kept 11 clean sheets in all competitions between October and December 2005. He also won the Premier League Golden Glove award for three consecutive seasons.
He reached his 100th clean sheet for Liverpool in March 2009 during a match against Aston Villa. After his time at Liverpool, he played for clubs including Napoli, Bayern Munich, Milan, Aston Villa, Lazio, and Como.
International career
At the international level, Pepe represented Spain and won the UEFA European Under 17 Championship in 1999. He made his senior debut for Spain in a friendly match against Uruguay in August 2005.
He was selected as the second choice goalkeeper behind Iker Casillas and David de Gea. He was part of the Spain squads that won the UEFA Euro 2008, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and the UEFA European Championship in 2012.
Birthday and age
Pepe Reina was born on August 31, 1982, which makes Pepe 44 years old today. That birthday falls under the Virgo sign. Pepe shares the date with 23 other famous people.
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