Pepe Reina brought an end to his career last summer, pulling the curtain on a near 30-year career that had seen him play all across Europe.
From starting in Barcelona’s youth ranks to spells at Villareal, Liverpool, Napoli, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Aston Villa, Lazio and Como, it’s fair to say he got around.
The best period of his career was undoubtedly at Liverpool, where he made 394 appearances over eight years between 2005 and 2013. That period saw him win the FA Cup in 2006, the Community Shield and then the League Cup in 2012.
Liverpool memories
He is still, mostly, fondly remembered for his time at Anfield, where he was a key component of the team under Rafa Benitez.
He’s now looking back on his time with the Reds in an interview with DAZN in Spain. And when asked about what it was like to play at Anfield, didn’t hold back on his praise.
“It’s a football temple where football is a religion and that’s the church,” he said.
“I mean, in the end, feeling Anfield, every two weeks is a privilege, and as time and your career go on, you value it even more because you lose it and miss it a lot.
“But it’s a level of football and a setting to enjoy as a player that is incomparable.”
| Season | All appearances | Premier League appearances | All clean sheets | Premier League clean sheets | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005/06 | 53 | 33 | 30 | 20 | 0 |
| 2006/07 | 51 | 35 | 26 | 19 | 0 |
| 2007/08 | 52 | 38 | 24 | 18 | 1 |
| 2008/09 | 51 | 38 | 25 | 20 | 2 |
| 2009/10 | 52 | 38 | 21 | 17 | 1 |
| 2010/11 | 50 | 38 | 20 | 14 | 0 |
| 2011/12 | 46 | 34 | 14 | 12 | 0 |
| 2012/13 | 39 | 31 | 17 | 14 | 0 |
| Liverpool total | 394 | 285 | 177 | 134 | 4 |
Drogba headache
Reina’s time at Liverpool was one epitomised by a constant battle against Chelsea. In his eight seasons on Merseyside, Liverpool and Chelsea dace each other 31 times in all competitions.
They were very much locked in an intense domestic and European rivalry, playing an unprecedented number of high stakes matches over that period. Reina played 27 of the 31 games.
That meant regular meetings with one Didier Drogba. He was a thorn in the side, scoring five past Reina alone between 2006 and 2012. In the famous 4-4 draw in the Champions League, Drogba got a touch on a cross that deflected off Reina’s hands and was ultimately credited as a Reina own goal.
It means Reina couldn’t overlook him, admitting “he was the usual headache” when asked about that period.
