Leonardo (footballer, born 1983) facts for kids
Leonardo Vitor Santiago, known simply as Leonardo, is a former professional footballer from Brazil. He was born on March 9, 1983. Leonardo played mostly as a winger or a playmaker. He also played for the Brazilian Under-20 national team.
Leonardo
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Leonardo de Vitor Santiago | ||
| Date of birth | 9 March 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Nova Safra | |||
| 1995–2000 | Feyenoord | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2000–2005 | Feyenoord | 53 | (4) |
| 2006 | NAC Breda | 31 | (10) |
| 2007–2009 | Ajax | 39 | (5) |
| 2009–2012 | NAC Breda | 42 | (6) |
| 2011–2012 | → Red Bull Salzburg (loan) | 30 | (4) |
| 2013–2014 | Ferencváros | 23 | (7) |
| 2014 | 1860 Munich | 8 | (2) |
| 2015–2016 | Newcastle United Jets | 20 | (1) |
| 2017 | FC Eindhoven | 8 | (1) |
| Total | 254 | (40) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Contents
Leonardo's Football Journey
Early Days in Brazil
Leonardo started playing football at the Nova Safra school in Rio de Janeiro. He grew up in the Jacarezinho neighborhood. This is the same area where famous footballer Romário also started his career. In 1994, when Leonardo was 11, his amazing football talent was noticed by Jos de Putter. Jos de Putter made a documentary film about Leonardo and another young player. The film showed how football can help young people escape tough living conditions in the slums.
Playing for Feyenoord
After the film, Leonardo moved to Rotterdam, Netherlands. He joined the youth academy of Feyenoord. Leonardo played his first game for Feyenoord on August 19, 2000. He was only 17 years old. Feyenoord won that game 2–0 against AZ Alkmaar.
However, there was a problem with Leonardo playing at such a young age. FIFA, the world football organization, has rules about players moving between countries. Usually, players must be at least 18 years old to transfer internationally if they are not from the European Union. It turned out that Leonardo had been given a fake Portuguese passport. This made Feyenoord think he was older and could play.
Leonardo had to wait until his 18th birthday to play for Feyenoord's main team again. He scored his first goal against SC Heerenveen, helping his team win 2–0. He also scored in an away game against their big rivals, Ajax. In his first two seasons, he played 44 matches and scored four goals. Leonardo was part of the Feyenoord team that won the 2001–02 UEFA Cup in 2002. He played as a substitute in the final match.
Time at NAC Breda
In January 2006, Leonardo joined NAC Breda on a 1.5-year contract. He helped NAC Breda stay in the top Dutch league, the Eredivisie. He scored 8 goals in 14 matches, becoming the top goal scorer for the club that season.
Moving to Ajax
In December 2006, Leonardo signed a new contract with Ajax. He started playing for Ajax in the Eredivisie on January 21, 2007. This was against FC Utrecht. Six weeks later, he got a serious injury during a game against SC Heerenveen. He tore a ligament in his right knee, which meant he couldn't play for at least six months.
Return to NAC Breda
After his time at Ajax, Leonardo returned to NAC Breda. In 2011, he went on loan from NAC Breda to FC Red Bull Salzburg in Austria.
Playing in Hungary and Germany
In February 2013, Leonardo signed a contract with the Hungarian club Ferencváros. He played there for a couple of seasons. In July 2014, Leonardo moved to Germany to play for 1860 Munich. He played regularly at the start of the season and scored two goals. However, his contract ended in November 2014 because he wanted to leave.
Playing in Australia
On August 21, 2015, Leonardo signed with the A-League club Newcastle United Jets FC in Australia. He made his first appearance for the Jets in a pre-season game on September 12, 2015. Leonardo came on as a substitute in the second half. He made his official A-League debut in the first game of the season against Wellington Phoenix. Newcastle and Leonardo won that match 2–1.
Final Club: FC Eindhoven
In March 2017, Leonardo joined FC Eindhoven in the Netherlands. This happened after he received a Dutch passport.
Career Statistics Summary
Leonardo played a total of 254 professional matches in his career. He scored 40 goals across all the clubs he played for.
Honours and Achievements
Leonardo won several important trophies during his career:
Feyenoord
- UEFA Cup: 2002
Ajax
- Dutch Cup: 2007
- Dutch Super Cup: 2007
Red Bull Salzburg
- Austrian Bundesliga: 2011–12
- Austrian Cup: 2012
Ferencváros
- Hungarian League Cup: 2012–13
See also
In Spanish: Leonardo Santiago para niños
