Marco Almeida

Marco António Bernardo Paracana Almeida (born 4 April 1977) is a Portuguese retired footballer who played as a central defender.

Marco Almeida
Personal information
Full name Marco António Bernardo Paracana Almeida
Date of birth (1977-04-04) 4 April 1977
Place of birth Barreiro, Portugal
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position(s) Centre back
Youth career
1988–1995 Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1995–2000 Sporting CP 5 (2)
1995–1996 → Casa Pia (loan) 16 (0)
1996–1998 → Lourinhanense (loan) 4 (0)
1998–1999 → Campomaiorense (loan) 21 (2)
1999 → Southampton (loan) 1 (0)
2000–2001 Campomaiorense 20 (1)
2001–2004 Alverca 76 (5)
2004–2005 Ciudad Murcia 3 (0)
2005–2006 Maia 23 (1)
2006–2007 Portimonense 24 (2)
2007–2008 Nea Salamis 3 (0)
2008–2009 Lourosa 9 (2)
2009–2011 Akritas Chlorakas 36 (2)
Total 241 (17)
National team
1996–1997 Portugal U20 14 (0)
1998–2000 Portugal U21 18 (3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He started his career with Sporting, going on to amass Primeira Liga totals of 90 games and five goals over the course of six seasons, also representing in the competition Campomaiorense and Alverca. He also played professionally in England, Spain and Cyprus.

Club career

Almeida was born in Barreiro, Setúbal District, and played youth football with Sporting CP.[1] He started his senior career with Casa Pia A.C. on loan, moving to Sporting Clube Lourinhanense in 1996 as the latter acted as farm team to the Primeira Liga giants. For the 1998–99 season, still in the top division, he was again loaned, now to S.C. Campomaiorense.

In July 1999, Almeida was signed by Southampton's manager Dave Jones on a year's loan, with a view to a permanent move.[2] After impressing in pre-season friendlies[3] he made his first-team debut as a 71st-minute substitute for Claus Lundekvam in a Premier League match against Arsenal at the Dell, on 19 September 1999: within eight minutes, he was alongside fellow substitute Thierry Henry just outside the Southampton area, when the latter received a pass from Tony Adams. He stumbled while trying to clear the ball, allowing Henry to wrap his foot around the ball and send a rocket of a shot into the far corner of the Southampton net, in what was the Frenchman's first goal in English football.[4]

Although Almeida made a few appearances for the Saints' reserves, including scoring in a 2–2 draw with Chelsea on 22 September 1999, he was never again called into the main squad and, in December, the loan was cancelled.[5] Also in the United Kingdom, he would also have unsuccessful trials with Bolton Wanderers in September 2000[6] and Cardiff City (managed by former Southampton boss Jones) in 2007; subsequently he returned to Sporting, being released in the following summer after which he re-joined Campomaiorense, now as a free agent.

Almeida's most steady period came at F.C. Alverca, which he helped promote from the Segunda Liga in 2002–03 by netting a career-best five times in 32 games. After three seasons he moved abroad again, going almost unnoticed at Ciudad de Murcia – Spanish Segunda División – and he subsequently returned to his country, playing one campaign apiece with second level sides F.C. Maia and Portimonense SC.

In the following years, already in his 30s, Almeida alternated between the Portuguese lower leagues and Cypriot football.[7]

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References
  1. Almeida, Isaura (19 November 2017). "O campeão pelos leões que podia ter mais 200 mil euros na conta" [The lions' champion who could have 200 thousand euros more in his account] (in Portuguese). Diário de Notícias. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  2. 'Detonator' breaks bank at Coventry; The Guardian, 20 July 1999
  3. Solid start is a must for Dean; Andover Advertiser, 28 July 1999
  4. Henry, from also-ran to thoroughbred; Arsenal FC, 19 October 2005
  5. Football: Saints let Almeida go back home; Andover Advertiser, 11 December 1999
  6. Duncan Holley & Gary Chalk (2003). In That Number – A post-war chronicle of Southampton FC. Hagiology Publishing. p. 473. ISBN 0-9534474-3-X.
  7. Marco Almeida: do Sporting a Portimão até chegar ao Nea Salamina (Marco Almeida: from Sporting to Portimão until reaching Nea Salamina); Mais Futebol, 10 December 2007 (in Portuguese)
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