| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Fernando Nélson Jesus Vieira Alves | ||
| Date of birth | November 5, 1971 | ||
| Place of birth | Porto, Portugal | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Playing position | Right back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1985–1988 | Porto | ||
| 1988–1990 | Salgueiros | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1990–1991 | Salgueiros | 24 | (0) |
| 1991–1996 | Sporting CP | 115 | (3) |
| 1996–1998 | Aston Villa | 59 | (0) |
| 1999–2002 | Porto | 32 | (0) |
| 2002–2004 | Vitória Setúbal | 31 | (1) |
| 2004–2005 | Rio Tinto | ||
| National team | |||
| 1991 | Portugal U20 | 4 | (0) |
| 1993–1994 | Portugal U21 | 5 | (0) |
| 1995–2001 | Portugal | 11 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Fernando Nélson Jesus Vieira Alves (born 5 November 1971 in Porto), known as Nélson, is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a right defender.
Best known for his spell at Sporting, he also played for Porto in his country, having a two-year stint at Aston Villa in England as well.
After starting professionally at local S.C. Salgueiros, Nélson moved to first division giants Sporting Clube de Portugal, immediately after having helped the national U-20's win the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship, played in the country.
At the Lisbon-based outfit, Nélson won the 1995 Portuguese Cup; after producing three final solid seasons, where he amassed nearly 100 league matches and scored one goal apiece, he joined Premier League club Aston Villa in the 1996 summer, under manager Brian Little.
After two solid seasons with the Midlands club, Nélson did not appear at all in the first half of the third, and returned home in 1999 January transfer window as he signed with F.C. Porto - his first youth club - where he won his first league championship, in his debut season.
During the following three years, Nélson would be used irregularly at Porto (playing as much as 20 matches and as little as none), and moved in 2002 to Vitória de Setúbal. After another year with amateurs S.C. Rio Tinto, he retired from football, becoming president of the latter team.
Nélson's twin brother, Albertino, was also a footballer and a defender. He too started his career - which spanned more than two decades, with teams in all levels of Portuguese football - with Porto (youth) and Salgueiros, and amassed top division totals of 204 games and one goal, mainly with C.S. Marítimo (seven seasons, 169/1).
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