Helton (footballer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Helton

Helton with Porto in 2013
Personal information
Full name	Helton da Silva Arruda
Date of birth	(1978-05-18) 18 May 1978 (age 47)
Place of birth	São Gonçalo, Brazil
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2+1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1993–1994	São Cristóvão
1995–1998	Vasco da Gama
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1999–2002	Vasco da Gama	52	(0)
2003–2005	União Leiria	67	(0)
2005–2016	Porto	232	(0)
2020–2021	União Leiria	5	(0)
Total		356	(0)
National team
2000	Brazil U23	6	(0)
2006–2007	Brazil	3	(0)
Teams managed
2018	Freamunde
Honours Men's football Representing  Brazil Copa América Winner 2007 Venezuela
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Helton da Silva Arruda (born May 18, 1978), known simply as Helton, is a former Brazilian footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

He started his career at Vasco da Gama in Brazil. Later, he moved to Portugal. There, he played for União de Leiria and Porto. He won 18 big titles with Porto. Over 14 seasons, he played in 299 matches in Portugal's top league, the Primeira Liga.

Helton also played for the Brazilian national team in the 2007 Copa América.

Helton's Football Journey

Playing for Vasco

Helton was born in São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He started playing football in the youth system of CR Vasco da Gama. He first became well-known in 2000. That year, he helped his club win the Série A (Brazil's top league) and the Copa Mercosur.

Time at União de Leiria

In 2002, Helton's contract with Vasco ended. In January 2003, he signed with a Portuguese club called U.D. Leiria. His first official game was on March 9, 2003. It was a 3–1 home win against Académica de Coimbra in the Taça de Portugal (Portuguese Cup). In his first season, he was a backup goalkeeper.

By the end of the 2004–05 season, Helton was the main goalkeeper for União de Leiria. After two years as their first-choice player, he signed with FC Porto.

Success with Porto

When Helton joined Porto, it looked like he might spend a long time on the bench. This was because Vítor Baía, a famous Porto goalkeeper, was already there. But Helton got his chance sooner than expected. On January 15, 2006, the coach decided to replace Baía after a mistake cost the team a goal.

Helton with Porto playing against Rapid Wien in the 2010–11 Europa League match.

At first, some people criticized Helton. But he soon became the number one goalkeeper with many strong performances. In his first season at Porto, he helped the club win both the Primeira Liga and the Portuguese Cup. This is known as a domestic double.

Helton continued to be Porto's main goalkeeper for many years. Porto won four league championships in a row during this time. In the 2008–09 Portuguese Cup, he was on the bench, and another goalkeeper played.

Helton was again the first-choice goalkeeper for the next two seasons. He played in 49 league games and helped his team win six major titles. On May 18, 2011, he celebrated his 33rd birthday. He kept a clean sheet (meaning the other team didn't score) in the UEFA Europa League final. Porto won that game 1–0. After a teammate left in 2009, Helton also became the team captain. He became a Portuguese citizen in 2010 because he had played for the club for so long.

Helton played 30 league matches in the 2012–13 season. This was his seventh league title with Porto. However, on March 16, 2014, he suffered an achilles tendon injury during a game. This kept him from playing for several months.

After returning from his injury, he was no longer the main goalkeeper. Other players took his spot. Helton ended his contract with Porto on October 12, 2016, when he was 38 years old. He announced his retirement the next year. However, he later returned to play as a forward for an amateur team. In January 2018, he started coaching at a Portuguese third division club.

In October 2020, Helton came out of retirement. He returned to play for U.D. Leiria, which was then in the third tier of Portuguese football.

Helton's International Career

Helton played for the Brazilian team at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He played in all four matches. Brazil was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Cameroon.

He received his first call-up to the senior national team in October 2006. His official debut was on November 15, 2006, in a friendly game against Switzerland. He also played against England in June 2007. This game was the first international match played at the new Wembley Stadium.

Helton was part of the national squad that won the 2007 Copa América. However, he did not play in any games during the tournament. He was the second-choice goalkeeper behind another player.

Career Statistics

This table shows how many games Helton played for different clubs and national teams, and how many goals he scored (as a goalkeeper, he scored zero goals).

International

Honours and Awards

Helton won many titles with his clubs and country:

Vasco da Gama

• Campeonato Brasileiro Série A: 2000
• Campeonato Carioca: 1998
• Copa Mercosur: 2000
• Taça Guanabara: 2000
• Taça Rio: 2001

Porto

• Primeira Liga: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13
• Taça de Portugal: 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11
• Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013
• UEFA Europa League: 2010–11

Brazil

• Copa América: 2007

Individual

• Primeira Liga Goalkeeper of the Year: 2010–11, 2012–13

See also

In Spanish: Hélton para niños