Marquinhos celebrates an amazing milestone with Paris

Brazilian Marquinhos, captain and defender of Paris Saint-Germain, is set to make his 500th appearance for the club when they face Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday evening in the fifth round of the Champions League group stage. The 31-year-old, who joined PSG in 2013 from Roma at the age of 19, has recently recovered from injury and is expected to reach the milestone at the Parc des Princes if he is fully fit. "If he's fit, he'll play," said coach Luis Enrique at a press conference on Tuesday. "500 games is an incredible number. He's been a true leader for the team for a long time. He's a special player and we're very happy for him." Marquinhos began his career with the youth team of Brazilian club Corinthians before joining the first team in January 2012. Eight months later, he was loaned to Italian side Roma, who made the move permanent in January 2013. Despite making only 16 appearances for Roma, his performances caught the eye of Paris Saint-Germain, who signed him in July 2013 for €31.7 million. Since arriving in the French capital, Marquinhos has been a key player for the club for 13 seasons, topping the list of players with the most appearances, surpassing Frenchman Jean-Marc Pellerget (435 appearances) and Italian Marco Verratti (416 appearances). Marquinhos' achievements extend beyond appearances; he has amassed 34 titles, the most in the club's history, most notably the Champions League title last season, the club's first ever in the competition, along with 10 domestic titles. Despite being a defender, he scored 42 goals and made 12 assists during his time with the team.