"If anyone has such an important role in the dressing room, it's him" - Fernando Santos lauds Portugal star ahead of 2022 FIFA World Cup clash against Uruguay

Portugal coach Fernando Santos raved about defender Pepe ahead of his team's 2022 FIFA World Cup clash against Uruguay tomorrow (November 28).

Pepe remains an integral part of the Portuguese national team. At 39, his defensive prowess might have waned but his influence in the dressing room remains the same.

Santos told the media (via Record):

"He's a monster. If anyone has such an important role in the dressing room, it's him."

Pepe has made 129 appearances for his country and has been a reliable soldier who has helped the team win many battles. Having an experienced campaigner like the former Real Madrid defender is undoubtedly an asset for any team.

Pepe is likely to feature for Portugal's next two FIFA World Cup games following Danilo Pereira's rib injury.

Portugal are currently at the top of their FIFA World Cup Group H. Santos was quizzed about whether his team can finish as the group champions. He said:

"We always talk about the past, I understand... Serbia... But Bernardo could be a coach, he responds better than me. We did calculations this time, but in the other three no qualifications. That's perfectly normal. We have to look at each game and see where we can improve."

He added:

"If we think about the playoff after Serbia there was a clear transformation; even in the game against Spain we were a very strong team for most of the game. That's part of the growth, of a team that doesn't get together that often to play. We've improved in many aspects, but tomorrow we'll see with the game."

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Portugal coach Fernando Santos spoke about having a player like Cristiano Ronaldo in the team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup

Portugal v Ghana: Group H - 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo is an influence on and off the field for any team he plays for. Santos was asked how it feels to have a player with such a voice in the Selecao dressing room for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He said:

"I've coached players with stronger words. In every team there are players like that, authentic bosses. I coached them at Benfica, at Sporting, at FC Porto, in Greece. There are those who raise their arms more, less, but the important thing is group know how to deal with these issues. We have to know how to be with everyone."

He added:

"There are players who are more shy, others who get along with more aggressive coaches... Ronaldo at 19 was not like that, João Pinto, Paulo Bento and Pedro Barbosa had a stronger word than him."