Pepe opens up on sleeping in the same bed as his mother until he was 18

Porto defender Pepe is one of the game's most eccentric figures and has continued to build on that reputation in a startling interview in which he revealed he slept in the same bed as his mother until he became an adult.

The 38-year-old Portugal international was born in the state of Alagoas in Brazil and had a 'very, very spoiled' childhood as the only male child in the family.

But at the age of 18 - having spent his youth career with Brazilian outfit Corinthians Alagoano - the defender took the plunge and left his parents and three sisters behind to move to Portugal and join Maritimo.

It was the start of a career in Europe that would see him thrive at Real Madrid - where he won three Champions League titles - Besiktas and current club Porto.

But in an interview with Portuguese outlet Tribuna Expresso, Pepe revealed that he was mollycoddled by his mother before entering the big wide world by leaving for Portugal.

Asked how spoiled he was as a child, Pepe said: 'Until I came to Portugal, at the age of 17, I slept with my mother, so imagine what it was.'

Then posed the question what his father thought about it, Pepe - who currently stands at 6ft 2in tall - added: 'Hey man, I was already big and I slept with my parents, so I imagine my father would not like to have me there.

'This is interesting: the other day I was talking to my mother and she was telling me that I really liked to run my hand through her hair, take it, and I told her that maybe I already knew it would be a lot of time away from her.

'That I, a boy who slept with his mother until he was 18, could win three Champions [laughs] Look, I never imagined it, it's true.'

All three of those European titles came in Madrid, but none of them arrived under the tutelage of compatriot Jose Mourinho.

The two fell out after the defender stuck up for captain Iker Casillas in his bitter feud with the current Tottenham boss in 2013, saying that the former deserved more respect after repetitive swipes at the time from Mourinho towards the legendary Spanish goalkeeper.

But Pepe revealed that their clash is now water under the bridge, stating: 'Everything is taken care of, solved, I have no problem with him. I admire him for the work he does, they are situations that happen.'

The centre-back is now very much in the twilight of his career and returned for a second spell at Portuguese champions Porto in 2019 under boss Sergio Conceicao, but revealed he had offers from the Premier League that year before choosing to return to his former club.

'I could have gone to England,' he continued. 'I had clubs that offered me a lot of money, but the opportunity arose to return to Porto - and, at my age, it was either then, or never. I chose to go back to a club I like, where I was treated well, I spoke with Sergio Conceicao.

'I told him "I'm going to go there to train as my 20-year-old colleague trains, or to train even better than him." Because I, with my 37 years old, will make him, who is 20, a better player, but the opposite will also happen.'

One Portuguese defender however who did move to England is fellow centre-back Ruben Dias, having sealed a £64million move to Premier League leaders Manchester City in the summer from Porto's rivals Benfica.

And Pepe has lauded the 23-year-old - who has been part of a City defence that have conceded just 15 top-flight goals this season - as the best centre-back his country currently have to offer.

'Look, for me, it's [Portugal's best centre-back] Ruben Dias and he already knows that, because I already told him, I'm not just talking to the press,' he continued.

'Ruben knows what I think of him and I gave him the advice that had been given to me: if you rule in that space, which is yours, if you make that space your home, if you defend your home, only whoever you want comes in - and you're not going to let a stranger into your house, right?

'Then, Ruben is super intelligent, in addition to footballing qualities. I remember him at the World Cup in Russia: we had dinner and he always came with me and Cristiano [Ronaldo] to talk to us, while taking a walk after the meal. He listened and if he had doubts, he asked questions and we answered.

'Because, despite what people might think - that we don't like each other, that we beat the hell out of it - the players get along with each other.

'I respected Ruben Dias as an opponent, and he did the same; on the pitch, we were rivals, but outside we didn't want the other's evil. People say I am a badass, but off the field I am a very kind person.'