Veteran goalkeeper Pepe Reina joins Villarreal after 17 years

Pepe Reina has agreed to a one-year contract extension with Villarreal, the club announced on Friday.

Reina first played for Villarreal from 2002 to 2005 before moving on to Liverpool, where he quickly established himself as a top performer in his position.

Reina will be 40 years old in August. He most recently played for Lazio in Italy, having previously played for AC Milan, Aston Villa, Napoli, and Bayern Munich. As a free agent, he lands in Villarreal.

Reina will most likely act as a backup to Gerónimo Rulli after former Villarreal goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo transferred to Valladolid.

Reina began his career with the Barcelona youth program. He won the FA Cup in 2006 and the English League Cup in 2012 during his eight seasons with Liverpool. He won the Bundesliga with Bayern in 2015 and the Italian Cup with Napoli in 2014.

Reina was a substitute for the Spanish teams that won the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championships in 2008 and 2012.