Rui Fonte

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Rui Fonte
Personal information
Full nameRui Pedro da Rocha Fonte
Date of birth (1990-04-23) 23 April 1990
Place of birthPenafiel, Portugal
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing positionForward / Winger
Club information
Current clubBenfica B
Number16
Youth career
1997–2006Sporting CP
2006–2009Arsenal
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2008–2009Arsenal0(0)
2009→ Crystal Palace (loan)10(0)
2009–2011Sporting CP0(0)
2009–2010→ Vitória Setúbal (loan)12(0)
2010–2011→ Espanyol B (loan)22(8)
2010–2011→ Espanyol (loan)11(0)
2011–2013Espanyol29(1)
2013–Benfica B1(0)
National team
2007Portugal U173(0)
2007–2008Portugal U1912(8)
2008Portugal U205(1)
2008–2012Portugal U2122(9)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 February 2013.
† Appearances (Goals).

Rui Pedro da Rocha Fonte (born 23 April 1990) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for S.L. Benfica B as a forward or right winger.

Club career

Fonte was born in Penafiel, and started his career at Sporting CP, joining the club's youth system at only seven. In 2006 he signed a three-year contract with Arsenal, with a clause stating he was to return to his previous club if the English side did not extend the contract beyond the original period.

A regular member of Arsenal's reserves, Fonte made his debut for the first team in a friendly against Barnet in the 2008 pre-season.[1] He made his competitive debut for the Gunners as a substitute for Carlos Vela in a League Cup match against Wigan Athletic on 11 November 2008, a 3–0 home win.[2]

On 30 January 2009 Fonte signed for Football League Championship side Crystal Palace on a one-month loan, with his older brother José playing a big role in persuading club and player of each other's merits.[3] He made his club debut in a 0–1 home defeat against Blackpool on the following day,[4] and his loan was subsequently extended until the end of the season;[5] Palace were docked a point and fined £20,000 for fielding him in their final game, despite his loan having expired.[6]

On 19 May 2009 it was announced that Arsenal had not decided to extend Fonte's three-year contract, and the player returned to Sporting.[7] He spent the 2009–10 season on loan to Vitória de Setúbal, making his top division debut on 17 August in a 0–0 home draw against Vitória de Guimarães (one minute played), and appearing sparingly during the campaign as the Sadinos barely escaped relegation.

Fonte played 2010–11 on loan to RCD Espanyol, in Spain. He spent the vast majority of his spell with the reserves, his first La Liga appearances consisting of one minute in a 1–0 home win against Sporting de Gijón on 5 December 2010,[8] and ten in a 0–1 home loss against Real Madrid, two months later.[9]

On 14 July 2011 Fonte signed permanently for Espanyol, for two years.[10] On 17 January of the following year he scored his first official goal for the Pericos, in a 3–2 home win against CD Mirandés for the season's Copa del Rey –[11] he also netted in the second leg, albeit in a 1–2 and 4–4 aggregate loss;[12] in between he scored his first goal in the league, closing the scoresheet in a 3–0 home success over Granada CF.[13]

On 29 January 2013 Fonte terminated his contract with Espanyol and, on the next day, signed with S.L. Benfica for five 1/2 years.[14][15] He was initially assigned to the B-team in the second level, suffering a knee injury in his debut against C.F. União and being sidelined for the rest of the season.[16]

International career

Fonte made his debut for the Portuguese under-21s against Spain on 18 November 2008, scoring the first goal in a 4–1 victory.[17]

Club statistics

As of 29 April 2012
Club League Season League Stats Cup Stats[18] European Stats Play-off Stats Total
Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists
Arsenal Premier League 2008–09 000100------100
Total2008–09 000100------100
Crystal Palace Championship 2008–09 1000000------1000
Total20091000000------1000
Setúbal Primeira Liga 2009–10 1300400------1600
Total20091300000------1600
Espanyol La Liga 2010–11 1100000------1100
2011–12 1711320------2031
Total20101100000------1100
Total20111711320------2031
Career totals 5111820------5931

Personal

Fonte's older brother, José, is also a footballer. A defender, he played most of his professional career in England, and the two shared teams at Sporting (youth) and Crystal Palace.

References

  1. ↑ "Barnet 1–2 Arsenal". Arsenal F.C. 19 July 2008. Retrieved 19 October 2013. 
  2. ↑ Harris, Chris (11 November 2008). "Arsenal 3–0 Wigan Athletic". Arsenal F.C. Retrieved 19 October 2013. 
  3. ↑ "Palace sign Arsenal striker Fonte". BBC Sport. 30 January 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2009. 
  4. ↑ "Crystal Palace 0–1 Blackpool". BBC Sport. 31 January 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2009. 
  5. ↑ "Crystal Palace extend Fonte loan". BBC Sport. 6 March 2009. Retrieved 27 March 2009. 
  6. ↑ "Crystal Palace get point penalty and fine for fielding Arsenal's Rui Fonte". Daily Mail. 2 June 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2009. 
  7. ↑ "Rui Fonte returns to Sporting". PortuGOAL. 19 May 2009. 
  8. ↑ "Garcia rescues Espanyol". ESPN Soccernet. 5 December 2010. Retrieved 19 October 2013. 
  9. ↑ "Ten-man Real grind out win". ESPN Soccernet. 13 February 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2013. 
  10. ↑ "Firma por dos años" [Signs for two years] (in Spanish). Fichajes. 14 July 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2012. 
  11. ↑ "Asalto frustrado a Cornellá" [Frustrated assault on Cornellá] (in Spanish). Marca. 17 January 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2012. 
  12. ↑ "El milagro de Anduva" [Miracle in Anduva] (in Spanish). Marca. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2012. 
  13. ↑ "Baena sets Espanyol on their way". ESPN Soccernet. 21 January 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2012. 
  14. ↑ "Oficial: Rui Fonte rescindiu com o Espanhol" [Official: Rui Fonte rescinded with Espanyol] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 29 January 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013. 
  15. ↑ "Rui Fonte assina por cinco épocas e meia" [Rui Fonte signs for five and a half seasons] (in Portuguese). Record. 30 January 2013. Retrieved 1 February 2013. 
  16. ↑ "Benfica B vence 4x1, Rui Fonte lesiona-se na estreia" [Benfica B wins 4x1, Rui Fonte injured in debut] (in Portuguese). Zerozero. 4 February 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2013. 
  17. ↑ Portugal plunder Iberian bragging rights; UEFA.com, 18 November 2008
  18. ↑ Includes FA Cup, League Cup and FA Community Shield

External links

S.L. Benfica B – current squad
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