Full name: Kepler Laveran Lima Ferreira

Position: Defender

Date of Birth: 26 February 1983

Birthplace: Maceio, Brazil

Born in Brazil, Kepler Laveran Lima Ferreira, known simply as Pepe, is an immensely strong centre-back who appears set to claim his place among the world’s finest defenders.

He is practically unbeatable in one-on-one situations, dominant in the air and is one of the fastest defenders in Europe. It therefore came as no surprise that Pepe wasted little time in stepping into the shoes of the retired Jorge Costa to become the undisputed boss of FC Porto’s defence.

Training in the sand and sea

There is an interesting explanation behind how Pepe honed many of his considerable attributes. He acquired his remarkable speed by running, day after day, on the sandy Brazilian beaches while he was still a promising junior.

Likewise, his dominance in the air is not an innate gift, but was perfected over years during his childhood when he was forced to go into the sea and jump with a weight strapped to his legs by his demanding father.

Pepe began his career for hometown club Corinthians Alagoano in Brazil at just 17 years of age before coming to Portugal to sign for Maritimo in 2001. Following impressive displays over several seasons he was snapped up by Porto in 2004/05.

After a mixed first season, it was under the guidance of Dutch coach Co Adriaanse that Pepe fully realised his potential. He played a key role in Porto’s audacious 3-man defence system, helping the Dragons win the domestic double in 2005/06.

Porto award

Pepe was rewarded for his efforts with the prestigious FC Porto annual award for footballer of the year in January 2007, where the central defender made a point of thanking former coach Adriaanse for turning him into a defender of the very highest order.

By the end of the season Real Madrid had seen enough, splashing out a cool 30m euros to take the powerful defender to the Santiago Bernabeu on a 5-year contract. 

Portugal dream

At the start of the 2006/07 season Pepe publicly stated that he aspired to play for the Portuguese national team. And it did not take long for the centre-back to follow in the footsteps of Deco as the second Brazilian-born player to wear a Portugal shirt.

Coached at the time by another Brazilian, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Pepe made the breakthrough into the Portugal team just in time for the Euro 2008 tournament, where he turned in a series of outstanding displays, even scoring the first goal for his adopted nation in the competition, in a 2-0 win over Turkey.

by Tom Kundert (13/06/2009)

* League appearances only

** Up to May 2009