Antonio Rudiger Reveals the Only Former Real Madrid Defender He Wants to Emulate

• Germany defender Antonio Rudiger has set himself a target of emulating former Real Madrid centre-back Pepe
• Pepe joined Real Madrid in 2007 from FC Porto and went ahead to win three Champions League titles
• German defender Antonio Rudiger left Chelsea for Real Madrid in the summer after five years at Stamford Bridge

Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger has heaped praises on FC Porto defender Pepe, saying the Portuguese was his role model.

Pepe is regarded as one of the best defenders to wear the famous white shirt, winning three La Ligas and three Champions League trophies.

The 39-year-old formed a no-mercy combo with Sergio Ramos at the heart of Real Madrid's defence, and was known for his aggressive defending.

He made 334 appearances for the Spanish club before joining Besiktas in 2017 after spending ten years at the Santiago Bernabeu.

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In an interview with Sport1, cited by Madrid Universal, Rudiger revealed his admiration for Pepe and how he once waited a long time to get his jersey.

“Pepe was my big role model at Real Madrid, as I always wanted to be like him. I used to watch videos of him straddling his opponents.

“I was still young and wanted to show everyone that I can be tough too. That was in my head. Crazy how good Pepe was. Not only in a duel, but also in the game structure.

“Today, however, everyone at Real tells me that he was actually a very calm character off the pitch. And guess what? He was the only player I ever waited an hour to get his jersey for.”

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Antonio Rudiger Opens Up on the Awkward Moment Real Madrid Incorrectly Spelt His Name

Meanwhile, Antonio Rudiger has revealed there was a spelling mistake on the Santiago Bernabeu board with his name on his first home debut.

The 29-year-old penned a four-year contract with the Spanish giants as a free agent from Chelsea in the summer.

He played his first home game as a second-half substitute for Los Blancos in their 2-1 victory over Real Betis on September 3.

Antonio Rudiger Shows Class With Touching Message for Injured Real Sociedad Forward Umar Sadiq

Sports Brief earlier reported that Real Madrid defender Antonio Rudiger has sent a heartwarming message of support to Real Sociedad forward Umar Sadiq.

Sadiq has been diagnosed with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will keep him out until the end of the season.

The Nigerian forward was in action for his new club Real Sociedad in their 2-1 defeat at Getafe on Sunday but was unable to complete the first half of the encounter due to injury.