#4 Pepe
Trending
Kepler Lima Ferreira, aka Pepe, has been an ever-present member of the Real Madrid backline since 2007. The Corinthians youth graduate played three years with Portuguese giants Porto before inking a deal worth €30 million with European giants Real Madrid. The hot-headed defender has been subjected to criticism regarding his actions on the pitch but has proved his critics wrong time again with wonderful performances.
Pepe was constantly hampered by injuries in his first few seasons at Madrid, but he found solace in 2011 when he played an entire season without any major injuries. After almost a decade with Madrid, the Portuguese defender has made 216 appearances and has scored eleven times. Pepe is no stranger to winning silverware as he has helped himself to many trophies which include a couple of Champions League trophies, two La Liga trophies and a European Championship Winner’s medal.
Along with Sergio Ramos, Pepe has formed one of the best centre-back partnerships in football and has shut out the best of strikers on many occasions. With his contract expiring in June 2017, many clubs will be interested in the Maritimo graduate despite him being 33 years old.
