Nuno Valente
Encyclopedia
Nuno Jorge Pereira da Silva Valente, OIH (ˈnunu vɐˈlẽt(ɨ); born 12 September 1974) is a retired Portuguese
footballer who played as a left defender.
After settling with a club in his late 20's with F.C. Porto - he started out his career with Sporting, but never imposed there - he moved at 31 to England
with Everton
, where he finally retired after playing regularly in three out of four seasons.
A late bloomer
in the international stage, Valente helped Portugal
finish second in Euro 2004, a competition which was played in his country. He also participated in the 2006 World Cup
.
, Valente began his career at second division
club Portimonense Sporting Clube
, loaned by hometown's Sporting Clube de Portugal. However, he found first team chances limited in the capital
outfit and, despite success in helping win the Portuguese Cup
in 1995, he was loaned for 1996–97 to fellow league side Club Sport Marítimo.
A young José Mourinho
recognized Valente's talent and brought him to his then club, União de Leiria. He spent three years at Leiria, helping the club achieve successful seasons. In 2002, when Mourinho left to join F.C. Porto, Valente and teammate Derlei
were the first signings made by the coach. Valente repaid Mourinho's faith in him with some good displays as Porto romped to victory in the national league
, and won the UEFA Cup against Celtic FC
(3–2).
The following season, Valente produced yet another excellent season, helping his club to domestic championship and Champions League wins, as the defender appeared in 11 games during that run, 10 of those complete. At the season's closure, he renewed his contract until 2007.
After Mourinho left for Chelsea
, Valente picked up a succession of injuries. In total he only played eight games in the entire domestic season, but returned in time to face F.C. Internazionale Milano
in the Champions League quarterfinal, but could not prevent his team losing 4–2 on aggregate.
After another poor season, which included an ultimatum by Porto president Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa
that ordered him to choose between club or national team, eventually leading to a suspension, he was signed by Everton
on a three-year deal worth €
2.2 million, under recommendation of mentor Mourinho, at the end of August 2005, after the Merseyside
club lost regular left-back Alessandro Pistone
to injury. Valente took a while to adapt to the hectic pace of the Premier League, but soon became a key feature in the Everton side from then on. In the 2005–06 and 06–07 seasons he was considered first-choice, but faced stiff competition from Scotsman
Gary Naysmith
. In February 2007, Everton took the option of a one-year extension to Valente's contract, tying him to the club until 2008.
In May 2008, Valente signed another one-year link, but would fall down the pecking order at Everton, usually backing Leighton Baines
; furthermore, with centre back Joleon Lescott
also being able to play the position, he received little playing time during 2008–09, being released on 12 June 2009 and choosing to retire from playing.
Upon his retirement, Valente was appointed Everton's official scout in Portugal. After one year, he returned to main club Sporting, joining Paulo Sérgio's coaching staff.
since after the 2002 FIFA World Cup
, Valente was first-choice for the national side during the runner-up campaign at UEFA Euro 2004, in home soil. During 2005, he suffered a thigh
strain, but recovered in time to play in the 2006 World Cup
, again playing a key part in Portugal's eventual fourth-place finish.
After playing only once during the Euro 2008 qualifiers, Valente retired from international football, in September 2008.
|1993–94||Portimonense
||||26||1||||||||||||||||
|-
|1994–95||rowspan="2"|Sporting||rowspan="2"|Portuguese League||9||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|1995–96||9||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|1996–97||Marítimo||Portuguese League||30||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|1997–98||rowspan="2"|Sporting||rowspan="2"|Portuguese League||6||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|1998–99||12||1||||||||||||||||
|-
|1999–00||rowspan="3"|União Leiria||rowspan="3"|Portuguese League||28||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2000–01||31||2||||||||||||||||
|-
|2001–02||28||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2002–03||rowspan="3"|Porto||rowspan="3"|Portuguese League||21||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2003–04||27||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2004–05||8||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2005–06||rowspan="4"|Everton
||rowspan="4"|Premier League||20||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2006–07||14||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2007–08||9||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2008–09||2||0||||||||||||||||
235||4||||||||||||||||
43||0||||||||||||||||
278||4||||||||||||||||
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
footballer who played as a left defender.
After settling with a club in his late 20's with F.C. Porto - he started out his career with Sporting, but never imposed there - he moved at 31 to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
with Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, where he finally retired after playing regularly in three out of four seasons.
A late bloomer
Late bloomer
A late bloomer is a person whose talents or capabilities are not visible to others until later than usual. The term is used metaphorically to describe a child or adolescent who develops more slowly than others in their age group, but eventually catches up and in some cases overtakes their peers, or...
in the international stage, Valente helped Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
finish second in Euro 2004, a competition which was played in his country. He also participated in the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
.
Club career
Born in LisbonLisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Valente began his career at second division
Liga de Honra
The Liga de Honra , known for sponsorship reasons as the Liga Orangina, is the Portuguese second level football league. It was formerly called Segunda Divisão and Segunda Divisão de Honra . When the LPFP took control of the two nationwide levels, it was renamed Segunda Liga, before renaming it...
club Portimonense Sporting Clube
Portimonense S.C.
Portimonense Sporting Clube is a Portuguese football team based in Portimão. Founded on 14 August 1914, the club is one of the few professional clubs in the Algarve region, and currently plays in second division....
, loaned by hometown's Sporting Clube de Portugal. However, he found first team chances limited in the capital
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
outfit and, despite success in helping win the Portuguese Cup
Taça de Portugal
The Taça de Portugal is the main Portuguese national football knock-out competition. The tournament has been officially known as the Taça de Portugal Millennium since 2008, due to its sponsorship by Portuguese private bank Millennium BCP. It has occurred on a yearly basis since 1938 and is...
in 1995, he was loaned for 1996–97 to fellow league side Club Sport Marítimo.
A young José Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
recognized Valente's talent and brought him to his then club, União de Leiria. He spent three years at Leiria, helping the club achieve successful seasons. In 2002, when Mourinho left to join F.C. Porto, Valente and teammate Derlei
Derlei
Vanderlei Fernandes Silva , aka Derlei, is a retired Brazilian-Portuguese footballer who played as a striker.He spent most of his 16-year professional career in Portugal , having represented all three most important clubs in the country, and amassing top division totals of 187 games and 70...
were the first signings made by the coach. Valente repaid Mourinho's faith in him with some good displays as Porto romped to victory in the national league
Portuguese Liga
The Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...
, and won the UEFA Cup against Celtic FC
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
(3–2).
The following season, Valente produced yet another excellent season, helping his club to domestic championship and Champions League wins, as the defender appeared in 11 games during that run, 10 of those complete. At the season's closure, he renewed his contract until 2007.
After Mourinho left for Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, Valente picked up a succession of injuries. In total he only played eight games in the entire domestic season, but returned in time to face F.C. Internazionale Milano
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
in the Champions League quarterfinal, but could not prevent his team losing 4–2 on aggregate.
After another poor season, which included an ultimatum by Porto president Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa
Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa
Jorge Nuno de Lima Pinto da Costa is a Portuguese football chairman, currently in charge of F.C. Porto.-Early years:Pinto da Costa was born in Porto, the son of José Alexandrino Teixeira da Costa and Maria Elisa Bessa Lima de Amorim Pinto, who fathered other four children, including future...
that ordered him to choose between club or national team, eventually leading to a suspension, he was signed by Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
on a three-year deal worth €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
2.2 million, under recommendation of mentor Mourinho, at the end of August 2005, after the Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
club lost regular left-back Alessandro Pistone
Alessandro Pistone
Alessandro Pistone is a former Italian footballer.-Early career:Pistone started his career at Solbiatese and Crevalcore, two small Italian teams who in recent years have slid to the lowest tier of professional Italian football, before moving to Vicenza for the duration of the 1995–96 season...
to injury. Valente took a while to adapt to the hectic pace of the Premier League, but soon became a key feature in the Everton side from then on. In the 2005–06 and 06–07 seasons he was considered first-choice, but faced stiff competition from Scotsman
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Gary Naysmith
Gary Naysmith
Gary Andrew Naysmith is a Scottish footballer, currently playing for Huddersfield Town in League One and has been capped for the Scotland national team 46 times...
. In February 2007, Everton took the option of a one-year extension to Valente's contract, tying him to the club until 2008.
In May 2008, Valente signed another one-year link, but would fall down the pecking order at Everton, usually backing Leighton Baines
Leighton Baines
Leighton John Baines is an English footballer who plays for Everton and the England national football team.He started his career with Wigan Athletic, with whom he won the Second Division in the 2002–03 season and was a runner-up in the 2004–05 Championship and the 2006 Football League Cup Final....
; furthermore, with centre back Joleon Lescott
Joleon Lescott
Joleon Patrick Lescott is an English footballer who currently plays for Manchester City. He plays as a centre-back, though he has played in various other positions across the defensive line, in particular left-back....
also being able to play the position, he received little playing time during 2008–09, being released on 12 June 2009 and choosing to retire from playing.
Upon his retirement, Valente was appointed Everton's official scout in Portugal. After one year, he returned to main club Sporting, joining Paulo Sérgio's coaching staff.
International career
A full internationalPortugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
since after the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, Valente was first-choice for the national side during the runner-up campaign at UEFA Euro 2004, in home soil. During 2005, he suffered a thigh
Thigh
In humans the thigh is the area between the pelvis and the knee. Anatomically, it is part of the lower limb.The single bone in the thigh is called the femur...
strain, but recovered in time to play in the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, again playing a key part in Portugal's eventual fourth-place finish.
After playing only once during the Euro 2008 qualifiers, Valente retired from international football, in September 2008.
Club statistics
|-|1993–94||Portimonense
Portimonense S.C.
Portimonense Sporting Clube is a Portuguese football team based in Portimão. Founded on 14 August 1914, the club is one of the few professional clubs in the Algarve region, and currently plays in second division....
||||26||1||||||||||||||||
|-
|1994–95||rowspan="2"|Sporting||rowspan="2"|Portuguese League||9||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|1995–96||9||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|1996–97||Marítimo||Portuguese League||30||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|1997–98||rowspan="2"|Sporting||rowspan="2"|Portuguese League||6||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|1998–99||12||1||||||||||||||||
|-
|1999–00||rowspan="3"|União Leiria||rowspan="3"|Portuguese League||28||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2000–01||31||2||||||||||||||||
|-
|2001–02||28||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2002–03||rowspan="3"|Porto||rowspan="3"|Portuguese League||21||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2003–04||27||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2004–05||8||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2005–06||rowspan="4"|Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
||rowspan="4"|Premier League||20||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2006–07||14||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2007–08||9||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|2008–09||2||0||||||||||||||||
235||4||||||||||||||||
43||0||||||||||||||||
278||4||||||||||||||||
Club
- UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 2003–04 - UEFA Cup: 2002–03
- Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup (football)The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
: 20042004 Intercontinental CupThe 2004 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on 12 December 2004 between FC Porto, winners of 2003–04 UEFA Champions League, and Once Caldas, winners of the 2004 Copa Libertadores. The match was played at the neutral venue of the International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan, in... - Portuguese LeaguePortuguese LigaThe Primeira Liga , formerly called Primeira Divisão, currently named Liga ZON Sagres after their main sponsors, is the top professional association football division of the Portuguese football league system...
: 2002–03, 2003–04 - Portuguese CupTaça de PortugalThe Taça de Portugal is the main Portuguese national football knock-out competition. The tournament has been officially known as the Taça de Portugal Millennium since 2008, due to its sponsorship by Portuguese private bank Millennium BCP. It has occurred on a yearly basis since 1938 and is...
: 2002–03 - Portuguese Supercup: 2002, 2003
Orders
- Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila ViçosaOrder of the Immaculate Conception of Vila ViçosaThe Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa is an dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Braganza, the former Portuguese Royal Family...
(House of BraganzaDuke of BraganzaThe title Duke of Braganza in the House of Braganza is one of the most important titles in the peerage of Portugal. Since the House of Braganza acceded to the throne of Portugal in 1640, the male heir of the Portuguese Crown was known as the Duke of Braganza and Prince of Brazil until 1822, or...
)