Nélson Pereira

Nélson
Personal information
Full name Nélson Alexandre Gomes Pereira
Date of birth October 20, 1975 (1975-10-20) (age 36)
Place of birth Torres Vedras, Portugal
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Youth career
1988–1994 Torreense
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1994–1997 Torreense 61 (0)
1997–2006 Sporting CP 66 (0)
2006–2007 Vitória Setúbal 8 (0)
2007–2009 Estrela Amadora 53 (0)
2009–2010 Belenenses 13 (0)
National team
2002 Portugal 3 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Nélson Alexandre Gomes Pereira, simply Nélson (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈnɛɫsɔ̃], born 20 October 1975 in Torres Vedras, Lisbon), is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Club career

After having started his football career with hometown club S.C.U. Torreense, Nélson was primarily used as a backup at Sporting Clube de Portugal, first to Peter Schmeichel, then to Ricardo, for nearly a decade. His best output for the Lions came in the 2002–03 season after both had left the club, playing 19 games in an eventual third-place finish, 27 points behind champions F.C. Porto.

After 2005–06, Nélson moved to Vitória Futebol Clube, but due to unpaid wages, a recurring problem in the club for the past seasons prior to his arrival, Nélson left the sadinos, being out of work for almost six months, before joining another Lisbon side, C.F. Estrela da Amadora, on July 2007.

Estrela would be relegated at the end of 2008–09, after continuing financial problems, even though it finished in mid-table. Nélson subsequently moved to neighbours C.F. Os Belenenses. He suffered an injury in training in December 2009, and never played again as the Restelo side finished second from bottom and dropped down a division; aged nearly 35, he chose to retire.

International career

Nélson was capped three times for Portugal, all in 2002. He was picked as third-choice for that year's FIFA World Cup, but was never recalled since.

External links