Pepe Reina facts for kids
Reina with Spain in 2017
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 31 August 1982 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Madrid, Spain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.88 m | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Como | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 25 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1988–1995 | EF Madrid Oeste | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1999 | Barcelona | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | Barcelona C | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Barcelona B | 41 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2002 | Barcelona | 30 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2005 | Villarreal | 109 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2014 | Liverpool | 285 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | → Napoli (loan) | 30 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2015 | Bayern Munich | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2018 | Napoli | 111 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2020 | AC Milan | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | → Aston Villa (loan) | 12 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | Lazio | 44 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2024 | Villarreal | 24 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Como | 10 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998 | Spain U15 | 6 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Spain U16 | 9 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | Spain U17 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Spain U18 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2003 | Spain U21 | 20 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2017 | Spain | 36 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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José Manuel "Pepe" Reina Páez (born on 31 August 1982) is a Spanish professional footballer. He plays as a goalkeeper for the Italian club Como.
Pepe Reina is the son of Miguel Reina, a famous goalkeeper for Barcelona and Atlético Madrid. Pepe started his own football journey in Barcelona's youth team. He made his first big league appearance in the 2000–01 season.
In 2002, he joined Villarreal and won the UEFA Intertoto Cup twice. Later, Reina moved to Liverpool in 2005. He quickly became their main goalkeeper. With Liverpool, he won the 2005 UEFA Super Cup, the FA Cup, and the FA Community Shield. In 2007, he played in the Champions League final, just like his father did in 1974.
After eight seasons at Liverpool, Reina played on loan for Napoli in 2013–14. There, he won the Coppa Italia. He then joined Bayern Munich in 2014. In 2015, he returned to Napoli permanently. He later played for AC Milan, Aston Villa (on loan), Lazio, and again for Villarreal.
For Spain's national team, Reina won the UEFA European Under-17 Championship in 1999 with the youth squad. He made his senior debut in 2005. He was part of the Spain teams that won the World Cup in 2010 and the UEFA European Championship in 2008 and 2012.
Pepe Reina has played many games in the Premier League. He is known for keeping many "clean sheets," which means games where the opposing team doesn't score any goals.
Contents
Pepe Reina's Football Journey
Starting Out at Barcelona
Pepe Reina began his football training at La Masia, Barcelona's famous youth academy, in 1995. His father, Miguel Reina, was also a goalkeeper for Barcelona.
By 1999, Pepe was the main goalkeeper for Barcelona's reserve team. This team played in the third division of Spanish football. In 2000, when he was just 18, he got a chance to play for the main Barcelona team. This happened because the team's other goalkeepers were injured.
He played his first game on 2 December 2000. He appeared in 19 league games that season. He also played in the 2000–01 UEFA Cup, where Barcelona lost to Liverpool. In the 2001–02 season, Reina played 16 games. He was the backup goalkeeper to Roberto Bonano. He made his UEFA Champions League debut on 31 October 2001.
After Barcelona signed another goalkeeper, Reina decided to leave the club.
Time at Villarreal
In July 2002, Reina joined Villarreal. He played there for three seasons. In 2004, Villarreal reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup.
In his last season with Villarreal, he helped the team qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time ever. This was a big achievement for the club.
Becoming a Star at Liverpool
Joining Liverpool and First Season
Liverpool signed Reina from Villarreal in July 2005. Their manager, Rafael Benítez, called him "the best goalkeeper in Spain." Reina's first game for Liverpool was in a Champions League qualifying match.
For the 2005–06 season, Reina became Liverpool's main goalkeeper. He replaced Jerzy Dudek, who was a hero from the 2005 Champions League final. On 17 August 2005, Reina also made his first international appearance for Spain.
This season was very successful for Liverpool and for Reina. On 3 December 2005, Reina set a new Liverpool record. He kept his sixth clean sheet in a row in the Premier League. A clean sheet means the other team didn't score. He broke the old record of five games. His amazing run ended after eight league games.
Reina also set a club record with 11 clean sheets in all competitions. On 5 February 2006, Reina was sent off in a match against Chelsea. He received a three-match ban. On 16 April 2006, Reina played his 50th game for Liverpool. He set another record for letting in the fewest goals in his first 50 matches. He only conceded 29 goals.
In May 2006, Reina won the Barclays Golden Glove award. This award is for the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets in the Premier League. He had 20 clean sheets that season.
In the 2006 FA Cup final on 13 May 2006, Reina made some mistakes. But in the penalty shootout, he saved three out of four penalties. This helped Liverpool win the FA Cup!
More Success and Records
Reina continued to be Liverpool's top goalkeeper in the 2006–07 season. In the 2007 Champions League semi-final, he made many great saves against Chelsea. The game went to a penalty shootout, and Reina saved two more penalties. Liverpool won 4–1.
Three weeks later, Reina played in the Champions League final against AC Milan. Liverpool lost 2–1. In June 2007, Reina signed a new five-year contract with Liverpool. In August 2007, he won the Premier League's Golden Glove Award again. He had 19 clean sheets that season.
In the 2007–08 season, Reina saved a penalty in the first game. On 2 February 2008, he reached 50 clean sheets faster than any other Liverpool goalkeeper. He did it in just 92 league games. He played all 38 league matches that season. He won his third Golden Glove award in a row with 18 clean sheets.
For the 2008–09 season, Reina played every minute of every league game. He kept 20 clean sheets as Liverpool finished second in the league. On 22 March 2009, he reached 100 clean sheets for Liverpool. He also helped set up a goal with a long pass in a 5–0 win.
In the 2009–10 Premier League season, Reina played all 38 matches again. He had 17 clean sheets. He was named Liverpool's Player of the Season for 2009–10. In April 2010, Reina signed another six-year contract with Liverpool.
Later Seasons at Liverpool
Reina had a tough start to the 2010–11 season with an own goal. But his teammates and coach supported him. He sometimes captained the team in Europa League matches. On 6 December 2010, he captained Liverpool in a league game. This game gave him his 100th clean sheet in just 198 league matches. He was the fastest Liverpool goalkeeper to reach this milestone.
In June 2011, Reina had surgery for a hernia. On 29 November 2011, Reina broke the club record for most clean sheets in a League Cup win. He won his second major trophy with Liverpool in the 2012 League Cup final.
On 1 April 2012, Reina received a red card in a game. This ended his streak of 183 straight Premier League appearances. He missed some important games because of this.
Loan to Napoli
Towards the end of the 2012–13 season, there were rumors Reina might leave. Liverpool signed another goalkeeper, so Reina went on loan to Napoli for the 2013–14 season. He was reunited with his former Liverpool manager, Rafael Benítez.
Reina was a bit sad that Liverpool agreed to the loan without telling him first. He had played 394 games for Liverpool. In August 2013, he saved a penalty in a pre-season tournament. In September, he saved a penalty from Mario Balotelli, which was a first in a competitive match.
On 3 May 2014, Reina won the Coppa Italia with Napoli.
Playing in Germany and Italy Again
Bayern Munich
On 8 August 2014, Reina joined Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. He signed a three-year deal, ending his eight years with Liverpool. He wore the number 23 shirt, which is also his number for the Spanish national team.
On 14 March 2015, Reina played his first game for Bayern. This made him the first goalkeeper and Spaniard to play in four of Europe's top leagues: Spain, England, Italy, and Germany.
Return to Napoli
On 23 June 2015, Reina returned to Napoli on a three-year deal. He had spent only one year at Bayern Munich.
AC Milan
On 15 May 2018, Reina moved to Serie A rivals AC Milan. He signed a three-year contract. He played his first game for Milan in the Europa League on 20 September. He was usually the backup goalkeeper for Milan in the league. However, he was the starting goalkeeper in the Europa League during his first season.
Loan to Aston Villa
On 13 January 2020, Reina joined Premier League side Aston Villa on loan. He played for the rest of the 2019–20 season. He joined because their main goalkeeper was injured.
Lazio
On 27 August 2020, Lazio announced they had signed Reina permanently. He played his first game for Lazio on 24 October in a league match.
Return to Villarreal (Again!)
On 8 July 2022, Reina returned to Villarreal for another season. After the main goalkeeper left in January 2023, Reina became the first-choice goalkeeper for the rest of the 2022–23 season.
On 22 June 2023, Reina signed a new contract to stay at Villarreal for another year. He mostly played in cup competitions. On 5 October 2023, he set a new record. He became the Spanish player with the most appearances in UEFA club competitions, with 192 games. This was more than his former teammate Iker Casillas.
Como
On 18 July 2024, the Serie A club Como announced they had signed Reina for one year.
Pepe Reina for Spain
Reina made his debut for the Spanish national team on 17 August 2005. He kept a clean sheet in a 2–0 friendly win. He was part of the Spanish team that went to the 2006 World Cup.
At UEFA Euro 2008, he played one group match. Spain went on to win the tournament, their first big trophy in 44 years. In October 2008, Reina and Iker Casillas set a national record. They went 710 minutes without letting in a goal.
He was also in the squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Spain won the World Cup for the first time ever! Reina was also called up for UEFA Euro 2012, which Spain won again. He was part of the Spanish squad for the 2014 and 2018 World Cups too.
How Pepe Reina Plays
Reina is known for his great skills with the ball. He is good at passing and has excellent technique. He is also known for his positioning, stopping shots, and saving penalties. Sometimes, he acts like a "sweeper-keeper." This means he comes off his line quickly to stop attacks and can start plays from the back.
Another famous goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon, said Reina was the best goalkeeper of his time with his feet. Reina has set many goalkeeping records for Liverpool. He won the Barclays Golden Glove award in his first three seasons there. People also admire him for how long he has played at a high level.
Pepe Reina's Life Off the Pitch
Pepe Reina married his girlfriend, Yolanda Ruiz, on 19 May 2006. They have five children. Reina used to live next door to his Spanish teammate Fernando Torres. When he was at Liverpool, he was also neighbours with Luis Suárez.
His father, Miguel Reina, was also a famous goalkeeper. He played in the 1974 European Cup final.
Even though he is serious on the field, Reina is known for being fun and lively off the pitch. He often entertains his teammates with jokes and songs. He was even a "master of ceremonies" at Spain's victory parties after winning the 2008 European Championship, the 2010 World Cup, and Euro 2012.
In March 2020, he tested positive for COVID-19. He later announced that he had fully recovered. In July 2021, Pepe Reina was revealed as a giant penguin on the Spanish version of the TV show Masked Singer.
Honours and Awards
Villarreal
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2003, 2004
Liverpool
- FA Cup: 2005–06
- Football League Cup: 2011–12
- FA Community Shield: 2006
- UEFA Super Cup: 2005
Napoli
- Coppa Italia: 2013–14
Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 2014–15
Spain U16
- UEFA European Under-17 Championship: 1999
Spain
- FIFA World Cup: 2010
- UEFA European Championship: 2008, 2012
Individual Awards
- Premier League Golden Glove: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08
- Liverpool Player of the Season: 2009–10
Special Recognition
- Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sporting Merit: 2011
Images for kids
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Reina with Spain in 2017
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Reina playing for Liverpool in 2007
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Reina playing for Liverpool in 2009
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Reina with Liverpool in 2011
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Reina playing for Napoli in 2016
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Reina lining up for Lazio in 2020
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Reina with the Spain national team, celebrating winning UEFA Euro 2012
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