PUYOL BIOGRAPHY

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Puyol
Carles Puyol SaforcadaPobla de Segur (Spain)13 April 1978178 cm80 kgDebut 2 October 1999
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Biography
Carles Puyol began his footballing career in the local team of the small town where he was born, La Pobla de Segur in the north of Catalonia. His talent soon attracted wider attention and, at the age of 17, he was signed up for the Barca academy at La Masía.
He rapidly became a fixture in Barca B and then progressed to make his debut with the first team on 2nd October 1999 against Valladolid at the orders of Louis Van Gaal. His appearances became more and more frequent until he made the right back position his own. Thanks to his determination to improve and a tremendous work rate, Carles Puyol adapted to the position of central defender.
In the 2003-2004 season, having been chosen as third captain, he played a vital role in the team's sensational run of form that led to the runners-up place in the league. Puyol made 27 appearances in the league and seven in the UEFA Cup.
However, Carles Puyol had to wait until the 2004-05 season to win his first medal with Barca. He was, by then, captain of the first team and an essential part of Frank Rijkaard's league championship winning side. At the end of the season, he finally saw his dream come true of lifting the league trophy in the Nou Camp.
During the 2005-06 season, he played as well as he had the previous year. The Barça captain had the honour of being presented with the league title trophy before the game against Espanyol, before lifting the UEFA Champions League in Paris after the monumental victory against Arsenal in the Saint-Denis Stadium. Puyol only missed five matches all season and none through injury. On three occasions he was rested by coach Frank Rijkaard and was then suspended for the other two games which he did not play in. He also scored one goal as he headed home during the 5-0 victory against Real Sociedad on October 30, 2005.
Carles Puyol is a regular in the Spanish national team and took part in the 2002 World Cup and the 2004 European Nations Cup and in the World Cup Finals in 2006