Rui Fonte

This name uses Portuguese naming customs. The first or maternal family name is da Rocha and the second or paternal family name is Fonte.
Rui Fonte
Personal information
Full nameRui Pedro da Rocha Fonte
Date of birth23 April 1990
Place of birthPenafiel, Portugal
Height1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing positionForward / Winger
Club information
Current team
Belenenses
(on loan from Benfica)
Number83
Youth career
1998–1999Sacavenense
1999–2006Sporting 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 B26(18)
2015–Benfica0(0)
2015–→ Belenenses (loan)7(1)
National team‡
2006–2007Portugal U1713(2)
2008Portugal U185(3)
2008–2009Portugal U1912(8)
2010Portugal U205(2)
2008–2012Portugal U2122(8)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22 March 2015.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 5 November 2014

Rui Pedro da Rocha Fonte (born 23 April 1990) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as either a forward or right winger for Belenenses, on loan from Benfica.

Club career

Fonte was born in Penafiel, and joined Sporting CP's youth system at only nine. 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 decided not 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 on a five-and-a-half-year contract.[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]

In January 2015, Jorge Jesus confirmed that Fonte was promoted to Benfica's first team after the loan of Nélson Oliveira.[17] On 14 January, Fonte debuted for Benfica, playing the first-half of the home win against Arouca (4–0) in the third round of league cup.[18]

On 2 February 2015, Fonte, the topscorer in Segunda Liga with 17 goals in 21 matches for Benfica B, was loaned to Belenenses in Primeira Liga, until the end of the season.[19][20]

On 14 February 2015, Fonte scored his first goal in Primeira Liga.

International career

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

Club statistics

As of 29 April 2012[22]
Club League Season League Stats Cup Stats[23] Total
Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists Apps Goals Assists
Arsenal Premier League 2008–09 000100100
Total2008–09 000100100
Crystal Palace Championship 2008–09 10000001000
Total200910000001000
Setúbal Primeira Liga 2009–10 13004001600
Total200913000001600
Espanyol La Liga 2010–11 11000001100
2011–12 17113202031
Total201011000001100
Total201117113202031
Career totals 51118205931

Personal life

Fonte's older brother, José, is also a footballer. A defender, he played most of his professional career in England, and the two were teammates at Sporting CP youth and Crystal Palace.[24]

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. ↑ "Jorge Jesus: "Homenagear Eusébio pela referência que foi"" [Jorge Jesus: "Pay hommage to Eusébio for the reference he was"]. slbenfica.pt (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. 9 January 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  18. ↑ "Benfica - Arouca (Fase 3 - jornada 2 Taça da Liga 2014-2015) - Liga Portugal". LPFP (in Portuguese). 14 January 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  19. ↑ "Liga Portugal" (PDF) (in Portuguese). LPFP. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  20. ↑ "Rui é reforço" [Rui Fonte joins Belenenses] (in Portuguese). A Bola. 3 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  21. ↑ Portugal plunder Iberian bragging rights; UEFA.com, 18 November 2008
  22. ↑ "Rui Fonte". Soccerway. Retrieved 18 April 2014.
  23. ↑ Includes FA Cup, League Cup and FA Community Shield
  24. ↑ "Palace sign Arsenal striker Fonte". BBC Sport. 30 January 2009. Retrieved 18 April 2014.

External links