Ricardo (footballer, born 1980)

Ricardo Jorge Ferreira Pinto da Silva (born 19 August 1980), known simply as Ricardo, is a Cape Verdean professional footballer who plays for Portuguese club C.D. Feirense 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 G.D. 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 summer of 2004, Ricardo moved straight to the Primeira Liga, signing with S.C. Beira-Mar. He featured in 29 games in his first season (24 starts), but suffered relegation; he continued to appear regularly for the Aveiro team during his spell, overall playing two seasons apiece in each of Portugal's major levels.

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

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

International career
Although born in Portugal, Ricardo opted to represent Cape Verde through ancestry. He received his first call-up in May 2008, 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, as the Europeans were preparing for that year's FIFA World Cup.

References

External links

Category:1980 births
Category:Living people
Category:People from Guimarães
Category:Portuguese people of Cape Verdean descent
Category:Cape Verdean footballers
Category:Portuguese footballers
Category:Association football defenders
Category:Primeira Liga players
Category:LigaPro players
Category:Portuguese Second Division players
Category:G.D. Serzedelo players
Category:F.C. Famalicão players
Category:S.C. Freamunde players
Category:S.C. Beira-Mar players
Category:F.C. Paços de Ferreira players
Category:Vitória S.C. players
Category:C.D. Feirense players
Category:Chinese Super League players
Category:Shandong Luneng Taishan F.C. players
Category:Cape Verde international footballers
Category:Cape Verdean expatriate footballers
Category:Portuguese expatriate footballers
Category:Expatriate footballers in China