Pelé (footballer, born 1987)

Pelé
Personal information
Full name	Vítor Hugo Gomes Passos
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Eskişehirspor
Number	8
Youth career
1992–2002	Boavista
2002–2005	Salgueiros
2005	Benfica
2006	Vitória Guimarães
Senior career*
Years	Team
2006–2007	Vitória Guimarães
2007–2008	Inter
2008–2010	Porto
2009	→ Portsmouth (loan)
2009–2010	→ Valladolid (loan)
2010–	Eskişehirspor
International career
2007	Portugal U20
2007–2009	Portugal U21
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 00:26, 2 May 2011 (UTC)

Vítor Hugo Gomes Passos, nicknamed Pelé (born 14 September 1987), is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Eskişehirspor in Turkey, mainly as a central midfielder.

Club career

Early years

Pelé started playing at the youth teams of Boavista FC, then switched to S.C. Salgueiros, also in his hometown of Porto. The financial crisis of the latter club eventually led to the administrative descent to the second division. Subsequently, the prohibition of signing professional players led to almost every player in the squad leaving the club.

In 2004–05, Salgueiros' senior squad was constituted primarily of 16–17 year old youth players, including Pelé. Despite winning only one game and drawing other two games during the entire season, his performances caught attention.

Along with teammate Joel, he signed for S.L. Benfica in a controversial free transfer, as the players were to move to Boavista which was willing to financially help Salgueiros. Instead, Benfica signed the players and the Paranhos side didn't receive any compensation.

Professionals

Pelé joined Benfica B for the 2005–06 season, but did not manage to play regularly, leaving in December 2005 to sign for Vitória Sport Clube, in Guimarães. At start of the following season, with Vitória playing in the second level for the first time in decades, he was a regular on the first team, but a poor start for the team and a managerial change led him to the bench more often, as he finished the season with 11 league appearances and Guimarães achieved promotion.

Pelé was signed by F.C. Internazionale Milano in August 2007, for €1.5 million,^[1] with a five-year contract.^[2] He played his first official match against U.C. Sampdoria on 26 September, in the Serie A, and made his first start against S.S. Lazio on 5 December, due to midfielders Patrick Vieira, Dejan Stanković, Luís Figo and Olivier Dacourt all being unavailable because of injuries.

On 7 May 2008, Pelé scored his first goal for Inter in a crucial Italian Cup semi-final against Lazio, as Inter won it away 2–0 (also aggregate) to reach the final, against A.S. Roma on 24 May, where he also scored from a brilliant long-range volley, in a 2–1 defeat.

On the last day of the 2007–08 summer transfer window, Pelé was transferred to F.C. Porto, in an exchange involving Ricardo Quaresma and cash €18.6 million. Pelé himeself was tagged as €6M.^[3] However, after playing almost no part in Jesualdo Ferreira's plans during the season, on 26 January 2009, he was transferred to Portsmouth in the Premier League, on a season-long deal with option to buy at the end.^[4]

On 10 June 2009, after no appearances for Pompey, Pelé returned to Italy, having a medical check at Genoa C.F.C. to finalize the transfer, but the deal fell through.^[5] On 20 July, he was loaned out to Spain's Real Valladolid on a season-long loan, with a buyout clause to make the move permanent.^[6] After slow beginnings, he eventually finished the season as a starter, due to injury to incumbent Álvaro Rubio, but the Castile and León side was relegated after a three-year stay.

In July 2010, Pelé moved to Eskisehirspor in the Turkish Süper Lig, on a three-year contract.

International career

Pelé was called-up on several occasions to the Portuguese U20 national team, playing in the 2007 Toulon Tournament and in that year's FIFA World Cup. Shortly after, he began playing for the U21s.

Honours

References

^ FC Internazionale Milano 2007–08 bilancio, Require purchase in CCIAA Template:It icon
^ "Pelé signs for Inter". Inter Milan. 28 August 2007. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
^ [1]
^ "Portsmouth sign Mullins and Pele". BBC Sport. 26 January 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2009.
^ "Il Vecchio Balordo trova il suo Pelé (The Vecchio Balordo finds its Pelé)" (in Italian). Genoa CFC. 10 June 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
^ "Pelé completará el centro del campo" (in Spanish). Real Valladolid. 20 July 2009. Retrieved 21 July 2009. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)

External links

Template:Persondata

[1] FC Internazionale Milano 2007–08 bilancio, Require purchase in CCIAA Template:It icon

[2] "Pelé signs for Inter". Inter Milan. 28 August 2007. Retrieved 3 February 2010.

[3] [1]

[4] "Portsmouth sign Mullins and Pele". BBC Sport. 26 January 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2009.

[5] "Il Vecchio Balordo trova il suo Pelé (The Vecchio Balordo finds its Pelé)" (in Italian). Genoa CFC. 10 June 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2009.

[6] "Pelé completará el centro del campo" (in Spanish). Real Valladolid. 20 July 2009. Retrieved 21 July 2009. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)

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