Carles Puyol, the retired Spanish footballer, is regarded as one of the all time best defenders for Barcelona and has turned 38.

A one-club man, he served as the long-time team captain for the Catalan giants, taking over from Luis Enrique in August 2004. He went on to appear in 593 times for the Nou Camp side and won 21 major titles, notably six La Liga trophies and three Champions League medals.

Puyol won exactly 100 international caps with Spain and was part of the squad that won Euro 2012 and the 2010 World Cup.

He notably scored the match-winning header which took Spain to the World Cup final in 2010, during their semi-final clash with Germany.

As one of the best defenders of his generation, Puyol was known for his commanding presence in the air, his composure on the ball and his intense commitment, as well as flamboyant hairstyle.

Club fans referred to him as “The Wall”, and rightly so.

Here’s who else is celebrating their birthday:

1965: Jose Rijo, Dominican former MLB pitcher who played mostly for the Cincinnati Reds (51).

1975: Bruce Dyer, English former footballer who played as a striker (41).

1979: Baron Davis, American basketball player who plays for the Delaware 87ers (37).

1992: Mohammad Amir, Pakistan fast bowler who returned to international cricket after a spot-fixing ban (23).