Carles Puyol is a Spanish footballer who plays with Barcelona and the Spanish national team.
Mainly a central defender, he can also appear on either flanks, especially as a right back. He also served as a longtime team captain, after taking over from Luis Enrique on August 2004.
Puyol started playing football for his hometown club, La Pobla de Segur, as a goalkeeper. However, after injury problems with his shoulder, he switched to striker. In 1995, he moved to join Barcelona’s youth team, switching positions again, to play as a defensive midfielder. In 1997, Puyol stepped up to play for the club’s B-team, occupying the position of right back.
In 1999, then coach Louis van Gaal promoted Puyol to the first team. He made his first division debut on October 2, 1999, at Real Valladolid, in a 2-0 win. After that, he successfully made another reconversion, now to central defender; he was awarded “Best European right back” award by UEFA in 2002 and “Best European centre back” in 2005, 2006 and 2008. Puyol also won the trophy “UEFA Club Best Defender” in 2006.
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