Lucas Leiva facts for kids
Lucas in an interview with FuboTV in 2024.
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lucas Pezzini Leiva | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 9 January 1987 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Dourados, Brazil | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2003 | Amparo | |||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Grêmio | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Grêmio | 66 | (9) | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2017 | Liverpool | 247 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2022 | Lazio | 155 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Grêmio | 18 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 486 | (15) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Brazil U20 | 9 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 2008 | Brazil U23 | 7 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2013 | Brazil | 24 | (0) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Lucas Pezzini Leiva (born on January 9, 1987), known as Lucas or Lucas Leiva, is a Brazilian former professional footballer. He played as a defensive midfielder for famous clubs like Grêmio, Liverpool, and Lazio. He also played for the Brazil national team.
Lucas started his career at Grêmio, where he won the Campeonato Gaúcho in 2006 and 2007. In July 2007, he moved to Liverpool in England. He played 347 matches for Liverpool over ten years, winning the League Cup in 2012. He was known for making many tackles in the Premier League.
After Liverpool, he joined Lazio in 2017 and won a Coppa Italia title. He then briefly returned to Grêmio in 2022 before retiring. Lucas also played for Brazil's national team, earning 24 caps. He won a bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics and captained the under-20 team to victory in 2007.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Grêmio
Lucas began his football journey at Grêmio in Brazil in 2005. The year 2006 was very successful for him. Grêmio won the Rio Grande do Sul state championship, which was their first win since 2001. The team also finished third in the top Brazilian league.
Lucas became the youngest player ever to win the Bola de Ouro (Golden Ball) award. This award is given to the best player in the Brazilian league. Many famous players like Zico and Kaká had won it before him. His great performances in 2006 caught the eye of big European clubs. In May 2007, Liverpool signed him for about £6 million.
Playing for Liverpool
First Years and Growth (2007–2009)
Lucas officially joined Liverpool on July 26, 2007. He was given the chance to play in the final of the Barclays Asia Trophy. His first goal for Liverpool came on January 27, 2008, in an FA Cup match. He scored with a great shot from far away, becoming the first Brazilian to score for Liverpool.
The 2008–09 season was important for Lucas. He started well in friendly games and earned a bronze medal with the Brazilian Olympic Team at the Beijing Olympics. Even though some fans and critics were unsure about him at first, his manager, Rafael Benítez, always supported him. Benítez said that Lucas was a "very, very good professional."
Lucas showed his skill in December 2008, especially in a big 5–1 win against Newcastle United. He helped set up a goal for Steven Gerrard. On May 3, 2009, Lucas scored his first Premier League goal for Liverpool in a 3–0 win against Newcastle United.
Becoming a Key Player (2010–2013)
Lucas continued to improve and became a very important player for Liverpool. In September 2010, he scored his sixth goal for the club in a UEFA Europa League match. He was even made captain of a young Liverpool team in some pre-season games.
In May 2011, Lucas was voted the Liverpool Player of the Year Award by the fans. He signed a new long-term contract with the club in March 2011. Unfortunately, his season was cut short in December 2011 when he got a serious knee injury (ACL) during a League Cup match.
He signed another new contract in April 2013. He played consistently in the 2013–14 season as Liverpool challenged for the league title. His good performances even led to him being called back to the Brazilian national team.
Later Years and Farewell (2014–2017)
Lucas continued to be a valuable player for Liverpool. He made his 300th appearance for the club on January 26, 2016. He even captained the team in a Premier League match against Crystal Palace.
On February 28, 2016, Lucas played as a central defender in the 2016 Football League Cup Final. Liverpool lost the match in a penalty shootout. On January 18, 2017, Lucas scored his first goal for the club in over six years during an FA Cup match. This season marked his tenth year as a Liverpool player. To celebrate, he received a special award from club legend Kenny Dalglish.
Moving to Lazio
On July 18, 2017, Lucas moved to the Italian club Lazio for £5 million. This ended his ten-year journey with Liverpool.
Success in Italy (2017–2022)
Lucas made his first official appearance for Lazio in a 3–2 win against Juventus in the Supercoppa Italiana on August 13. He scored his first goal for Lazio in a UEFA Europa League game.
He also scored important goals in the league and in the Europa League, helping Lazio reach the quarter-finals. He finished his first season with 50 appearances and was named Lazio's Player of the Year. He continued to play for Lazio for several more seasons, winning the Coppa Italia in 2019 and another Supercoppa Italiana title.
Returning to Grêmio and Retirement
On June 27, 2022, Lucas returned to his first club, Grêmio, signing a contract until December 2023. However, on March 17, 2023, he announced his retirement from professional football. This decision was made after doctors found a heart issue in December 2022.
International Career
Lucas was the captain of the Brazilian under-20 team. He led them to win the 2007 South American Youth Championship, scoring four goals.
In October 2006, Lucas was called up to the senior Brazilian national team. He made his first official appearance for Brazil on August 22, 2007, in a friendly match. In June 2008, he was part of the Brazil squad for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where he won a bronze medal.
He continued to represent Brazil in various matches, including the 2011 Copa América.
Playing Style
Lucas was mainly a defensive midfielder. This means he played in front of the defenders to protect the goal and win the ball back from opponents. He was also able to play as a central defender when needed.
Personal Life
Lucas is the nephew of a former Brazilian footballer named Leivinha. He also has an Italian passport because his family came from Italy. Besides his native Portuguese, Lucas can speak English, Spanish, and Italian.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | State League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Grêmio | 2005 | Série B | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| 2006 | Série A | 32 | 4 | 17 | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | — | — | 53 | 8 | ||||
| 2007 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 8 | 1 | — | 20 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 40 | 4 | 26 | 5 | 4 | 1 | — | 8 | 1 | — | 78 | 11 | ||||
| Liverpool | 2007–08 | Premier League | 18 | 0 | — | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 32 | 1 | ||
| 2008–09 | 25 | 1 | — | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 1 | — | 39 | 3 | ||||
| 2009–10 | 35 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | — | 50 | 1 | ||||
| 2010–11 | 33 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | — | 47 | 1 | ||||
| 2011–12 | 12 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 0 | |||||
| 2012–13 | 26 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 31 | 0 | ||||
| 2013–14 | 27 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 0 | |||||
| 2014–15 | 20 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 32 | 0 | ||||
| 2015–16 | 26 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 40 | 0 | ||||
| 2016–17 | 24 | 0 | — | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 31 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 247 | 1 | — | 18 | 2 | 24 | 1 | 57 | 3 | — | 346 | 7 | ||||
| Lazio | 2017–18 | Serie A | 36 | 2 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 4 | ||
| 2018–19 | 27 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 36 | 0 | |||||
| 2019–20 | 25 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 0 | ||||
| 2020–21 | 32 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | — | 37 | 0 | |||||
| 2021–22 | 35 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | — | 45 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 155 | 2 | — | 12 | 0 | — | 29 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 198 | 4 | ||||
| Grêmio | 2022 | Série B | 18 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | 18 | 3 | |||||
| 2023 | Série A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 18 | 3 | |||||
| Career total | 460 | 10 | 26 | 5 | 34 | 3 | 24 | 1 | 94 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 640 | 25 | ||
International
Source:
| Brazil | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2007 | 1 | 0 |
| 2008 | 2 | 0 |
| 2009 | 1 | 0 |
| 2010 | 4 | 0 |
| 2011 | 12 | 0 |
| 2013 | 4 | 0 |
| Total | 24 | 0 |
Honours and Awards
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Grêmio
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série B: 2005
- Campeonato Gaúcho: 2006, 2007
- Copa Libertadores runner-up: 2007
Liverpool
- Football League Cup: 2011–12
- Football League Cup runner-up: 2015–16
- UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2015–16
Lazio
- Coppa Italia: 2018–19
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2017, 2019
Brazil Olympic Team
- Summer Olympics bronze medal: 2008
Individual Awards
- Bola de Ouro: 2006
- Bola de Prata: 2006
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Team of the Year: 2006
- Liverpool Player of the Year: 2010–11
- Premier League Player of the Year by Northwest Football Awards: 2011
- Lazio Player of the Season: 2017–18, 2018–19
See also
In Spanish: Lucas Leiva para niños
