Ricardo (footballer, born 1980)

Ricardo
Personal information
Full nameRicardo Jorge Ferreira Pinto
da Silva
Date of birth19 August 1980
Place of birthAzurém, Portugal
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing positionDefender
Club information
Current team
Paços Ferreira
Number19
Youth career
Famalicão
1996–1999Vitória Guimarães
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1999–2000Ronfe
2000–2001Serzedelo
2001–2002Famalicão25(0)
2002–2004Freamunde63(5)
2004–2008Beira-Mar104(1)
2008–2010Paços Ferreira54(4)
2010–2011Vitória Guimarães17(0)
2011–2012Shandong Luneng18(0)
2012–Paços Ferreira75(2)
National team
2007–2012Cape Verde14(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 26 January 2015.
† Appearances (Goals).

Ricardo Jorge Ferreira Pinto da Silva (born 19 August 1980), simply known as Ricardo, is a Cape Verdean professional footballer who plays for F.C. Paços de Ferreira as a central defender or right back.

Club career

Ricardo was born in Azurém, Guimarães, Portugal, and he started playing football with amateurs Centro de Cultura e Desporto Desportivo de Ronfe and GD Serzedelo. In the following three years he played in the third division, representing F.C. Famalicão (one season) and S.C. Freamunde (two).

In the 2004 summer Ricardo moved straight to the top level, signing with S.C. Beira-Mar. He featured in 29 games in his first season (24 starts), but suffered team relegation; he continued to appear regularly for the Aveiro club during his spell, overall playing two seasons apiece in each of Portugal's major levels.

Ricardo returned to the first division for 2008–09, joining F.C. Paços de Ferreira. In the following campaign's opener he scored with his head to earn his team a point against F.C. Porto in a 1–1 home draw,[1] and was an everpresent defensive figure in his two-year stint.

In June 2010 Ricardo signed with Vitória de Guimarães, also in the top flight – he had been brought up as a youth at the Minho side. In January 2012, after a brief spell in China, he returned to Portugal and Paços on a three 1/2-year contract.[2]

International career

Although born in Portugal, Ricardo opted to represent Cape Verde through ancestry. He received his first call-up in May 2008,[3] first appearing on 27 May in a friendly with Luxembourg.

In June 2010 Ricardo started in the 0–0 draw that the minnows (ranked 117th) managed against Portugal,[4] as the Europeans were preparing for that year's FIFA World Cup.

References

  1. ↑ Falcao snatches point for 10-man Porto at Pacos de Ferreira; PortuGOAL, 16 August 2009
  2. ↑ Ricardo confirmado nos pacences (Ricardo confirmed by pacences); Record, 5 January 2012 (Portuguese)
  3. ↑ Foreign contingent boost Cape Verde; FIFA.com, 21 May 2008
  4. ↑ "Portugal held to 0–0 draw by Cape Verde". USA Today. 24 May 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2010.

External links