Pepe Reina has announced he will hang up his gloves at the end of the season and former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was quick to pay tribute to the Spaniard
Steven Gerrard has paid a heartwarming tribute to his former Liverpool team-mate Pepe Reina as the Spanish goalkeeper gears up to hang his gloves at the end of the current season. At 42, Reina is set to call time on his career following Como’s final Serie A match of the season against Inter Milan this Friday.
Reina, who joined Liverpool from Villarreal in 2005 made almost 400 appearances for the Reds. During his time at Anfield, Reina helped Liverpool win the FA Cup and League Cup, as well as winning the Premier League Golden Glove on three occasions.
In light of Reina’s impending retirement, Gerrard took to Instagram to laud his past team-mate for his “incredible career”, which has spanned more than 1,000 matches.
“Congratulations on your incredible career and journey,” wrote Gerrard on Instagram. “It was a pleasure not only to play alongside you but also to share many years together at Liverpool.
“A leader, standard setter and a top top goalkeeper. Enjoy your time till you decide your next challenge. All the best Rossi La … what a guy.”
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Since leaving Anfield in 2014, Reina’s career has seen him enjoy spells at Napoli, AC Milan, Lazio, and a return to Villarreal.
The Spaniard had a brief reunion with the Premier League when he moved to Aston Villa on loan in January 2020.
Reina declared his retirement through an Instagram post on Tuesday, reflecting, “It’s been much longer than I dreamed and it’s been so short that I’d live it all over again.
“Only three days from the ‘last dance’, so many emotions, people and experiences come to my mind that I can only summarise with an immense THANK YOU.
“My heartfelt thanks to all those people who have crossed my path, the greatest heritage of this profession, I carry a bit of all of them and I don’t forget that they have helped me live this real career privilege as a footballer. “I feel proud and relaxed of every moment lived; the bad because they taught me, the good because they made me an extraordinarily happy guy.
“Thank you God for blessing me with a family that is responsible for all the good things that have happened to me and that I will not have years to live to repay.
“See you soon, new projects coming and football runs through my veins… I wouldn’t understand this life without him. My most sincere hug.”
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