Pepe is technically impeccable, tactically perfect, has a great sense of positioning, speed, strength and intelligence. He is very strong in the air and is also elegant when playing the ball out of defence. Since he arrived at the club, Pepe has been a vital presence at the heart of the Real Madrid defence.
The Madrid central defender started his career at Brazilian clubs and came to Europe at the age of 18 when he signed for Marítimo in Portugal. He stayed there for three seasons until in the 2004/2005 season his defensive abilities took him to Oporto. Since he was a child, he knew exactly what he wanted to achieve: "Oporto was a step up in my career because my dream was to play for Real Madrid".
His progress has been meteoric throughout his career. He won many titles in Portugal such as the Intercontinental Cup, two Portuguese League titles, the Portuguese Cup and the Portuguese Super Cup before joining Real Madrid in 2007.