Fernando Nélson
Personal information
Full name Fernando Nélson Jesus Vieira Alves
Date of birth (1971-11-05) 5 November 1971
Place of birth Porto, Portugal
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Right-back
Youth career
1983–1986 Porto
1987 Rio Tinto
1987–1990 Salgueiros
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1990–1991 Salgueiros 23 (0)
1991–1996 Sporting CP 115 (2)
1996–1998 Aston Villa 60 (0)
1998–2002 Porto 32 (0)
1999–2002 Porto B 13 (1)
2002–2004 Vitória Setúbal 32 (1)
2004–2006 Rio Tinto
Total 275 (4)
International career
1991 Portugal U20 4 (0)
1992–1994 Portugal U21 22 (0)
1995–2001 Portugal 10 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Portugal
FIFA U-20 World Cup
Winner1991 Portugal
UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Runner-up1994 France
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Fernando Nélson Jesus Vieira Alves (born 5 November 1971), known as Nélson, is a Portuguese retired professional footballer who played as a right-back.

Best known for his spell at Sporting CP, he also played for Porto in his country, having a two-year stint at Aston Villa in England as well.

Nélson achieved Primeira Liga figures of 202 games and three goals over ten seasons.

Club career

Nélson was born in Porto. After starting professionally at local S.C. Salgueiros, he signed for fellow Primeira Liga club Sporting CP immediately after having helped the Portugal under-20s to win the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship, played in the country.[1]

At the Lisbon-based side, Nélson won the 1995 Taça de Portugal. After three final solid seasons, where he made nearly 100 league appearances and scored two goals, he joined Aston Villa in summer 1996, under manager Brian Little.[2]

After two Premier League campaigns in the Midlands and 75 games in all competitions, in July 1998 Nélson moved to FC Porto – his first youth club – winning his only national championship in his debut season.[3] He would be irregularly used the following three years (playing as much as 20 matches and as little as none), and in 2002 agreed to a three-year contract with Vitória F.C. also in the top division.[4]

Nélson retired after two seasons with amateurs S.C. Rio Tinto, later becoming their president.[5]

International career

Nélson won ten full caps for Portugal, making his debut on 3 June 1995 in a 3–2 home win against Latvia for the UEFA Euro 1996 qualifiers.[6]

Personal life

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-tier totals of 204 games and one goal, mainly with C.S. Marítimo.[5]

Nélson was a member of Opus Dei.[5]

Honours

Sporting CP

Porto

Portugal U-20

References

  1. 1 2 Ribeiro, Ireneu (20 August 2011). "Geração de ouro faz 20 anos" [Golden generation celebrates 20th birthday]. Diário de Notícias (in Portuguese). Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  2. ↑ Riley, Catherine (12 July 1996). "Nelson finalises move to Villa". The Independent. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  3. 1 2 Sousa, Guilherme; Pateiro, João Ricardo (20 February 2019). ""Vou à missa e leio a Bíblia todos os dias." Nélson, o ex-jogador que é membro do Opus Dei" ["I go to church and read the Bible everyday." Nélson, the former player who is a member of Opus Dei] (in Portuguese). TSF. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  4. ↑ "Nélson assina pelo Vitória" [Nélson signs for Vitória]. Record (in Portuguese). 27 June 2002. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Alvarenga, Vítor Hugo; Travassos, Nuno (1 April 2016). "Nélson: um faz-tudo na gestão de espaços desportivos" [Nélson: factotum in management of sporting facilities] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  6. ↑ "Lista completa dos internacionais portugueses" [Complete list of Portuguese internationals] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 18 February 2004. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  7. ↑ "Os «Príncipes» de Octávio em 1994/95" [Octávio's "Princes" in 1994/95]. Record (in Portuguese). 31 January 2001. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  8. ↑ Pinto, Vítor (10 February 2000). "FC Porto: Justiça de Jardel" [FC Porto: Justice of Jardel]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  9. ↑ "FC Porto-Marítimo, 2–0 (Pena 13, Alenitchev 78)". Record (in Portuguese). 10 June 2001. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.