| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Diego José Martins | ||
| Date of birth | June 19, 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Porangatu, Brazil | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Charlotte Eagles | ||
| Number | 8 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Gama | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2003–2004 | Gama | ||
| 2005 | Capital FC | ||
| 2006 | Anapolina | ||
| 2007–2008 | Aves | 1 | (0) |
| 2008 | Anapolina | ||
| 2009 | Ceilândia | ||
| 2009– | Charlotte Eagles | 30 | (4) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of June 2, 2011. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Diego José Martins (born June 19, 1983 in Porangatu) is a Brazilian footballer. He currently plays for the Charlotte Eagles in the USL Professional Division.
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Martins grew up playing in the youth system for Gama, where he played as an amateur for the Gama Júniors. Martins lead his club to three amateur Brasília state championships, scoring 18 goals, before being called up to the senior Gama team in 2003, at age 17.
Martins won two professional Brasília state championships and a Brazilian Serie C National Championship with Gama, and was the team MVP in 2004; his performances with the team led to him signing with Capital FC in 2005. While playing for Capital, Martins scored a famous goal known as the "goal Pelé couldn't score", looping a shot over the opposition goalkeeper from 50 yards out.
Martins transferred to Anapolina of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série B in 2006, where he was nominated Player of the Week three times, and was the team's end-of-season MVP. His play with Anápolis caught the eye of Portuguese scouts, leading to him moving to Aves in the Portuguese Liga in 2007. After spending two years rubbing shoulders with teams such as Benfica, Sporting Lisbon and FC Porto, Martins took an opportunity to move to the United States, and signed with the Charlotte Eagles of the USL Second Division in early 2009.[1]
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