Nuno Valente facts for kids

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Nuno Valente

Personal information
Full name	Nuno Jorge Pereira da Silva Valente
Date of birth	(1974-09-12) 12 September 1974 (age 50)
Place of birth	Lisbon, Portugal
Height	1.81 m
Playing position	Left-back, winger
Youth career
1985–1989	Sporting CP
1989–1990	Vitória Lisboa
1990–1993	Sporting CP
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1993–1999	Sporting CP	36	(1)
1993–1994	→ Portimonense (loan)	26	(1)
1996–1997	→ Marítimo (loan)	30	(0)
1999–2002	União Leiria	87	(2)
2002–2005	Porto	56	(0)
2005–2009	Everton	45	(0)
Total		280	(4)
National team
1993	Portugal U18	1	(0)
1995	Portugal U21	1	(0)
2002–2008	Portugal	33	(1)
Teams managed
2017	Trofense
Honours Men's football Representing  Portugal UEFA European Championship 2004 Portugal
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Nuno Jorge Pereira da Silva Valente OIH (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈnunu vɐˈlẽtɨ]; born 12 September 1974) is a former Portuguese professional footballer. He played as a left-back or a winger. After his playing career, he also became a manager.

He played professionally in Portugal and England for several well-known clubs. These included Sporting, União Leiria, Porto, and Everton.

Valente also represented Portugal at the international level. He played in the Euro 2004 tournament, where Portugal finished as runners-up. He also participated in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

Nuno Valente's Football Journey

Playing for Clubs

Nuno Valente started his football career in Lisbon, Portugal. He began at a second-division club called Portimonense on loan from Sporting CP. A loan means a player temporarily plays for another team. He found it hard to get many chances to play for Sporting at first. Even though he helped Sporting win the Portuguese Cup in 1995, he was loaned out again. This time, in the 1996–97 season, he joined Marítimo.

A famous young coach, José Mourinho, noticed Valente's skills. In 1999, Mourinho brought him to União Leiria. Valente played there for three years and was a key player. In 2002, when Mourinho moved to Porto, he signed Valente and his teammate Derlei. Valente showed his coach's trust was well-placed. Porto won the national championship and defeated Celtic in the UEFA Cup.

In the next season, Valente helped Porto win both the Portuguese league and the Champions League. He played in 11 games during the Champions League, which is Europe's top club competition. After this successful season, he signed a new contract until 2007.

After Mourinho left Porto to coach Chelsea, Valente faced many injuries. He only played eight matches in the domestic league that season. However, he recovered in time to play against Inter Milan in the Champions League round of 16. His team lost that match.

After another difficult year, Valente moved to Everton in England on August 28, 2005. He signed a three-year deal. His former coach, Mourinho, recommended him to Everton. Valente took some time to get used to the fast pace of the Premier League. But he soon became a regular player. In the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons, he was often the first-choice left-back. In 2007, Everton extended his contract for another year.

In May 2008, Valente signed another one-year contract. However, he started playing less often for Everton. Other players like Leighton Baines and Joleon Lescott could also play his position. Valente also had more injury problems. He played very little during the 2008–09 season. He was released by Everton on June 12, 2009. After playing 60 games for Everton over four seasons, he decided to retire from playing football.

Playing for Portugal

Nuno Valente became a full Portugal international player after the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He was a key player for the national team during the Euro 2004 tournament. This competition was held in Portugal, and his team finished as runners-up. In 2005, he had a thigh injury. But he recovered in time to play in the 2006 World Cup. He again played an important role as Portugal finished in fourth place. In the quarter-final match against England, it looked like he touched the ball with his hand. However, the referee did not give a penalty. Portugal eventually won the game after a penalty shootout.

After playing only once during the Euro 2008 qualifiers, Valente decided to retire from international football in September 2008.

Life After Playing: Coaching

After retiring as a player, Nuno Valente became an official scout for Everton in Portugal. A scout finds new talented players. After one year, he returned to his former club, Sporting, and joined their coaching staff.

Valente began his coaching career on October 11, 2017. He took over as manager of C.D. Trofense in the Portuguese third division. However, his time as a coach there was short. Less than two months later, after six official matches and five losses, he was fired.

International Goals

Nuno Valente: International goals

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	31 March 2004	Estádio Municipal de Braga, Braga, Portugal	Italy	1–0	1–2	Friendly

Achievements and Awards

Nuno Valente won many titles during his football career.

Sporting

• Taça de Portugal (Portuguese Cup): 1994–95
• Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (Portuguese Super Cup): 1995

Porto

• Primeira Liga (Portuguese League): 2002–03, 2003–04
• Taça de Portugal (Portuguese Cup): 2002–03
• Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira (Portuguese Super Cup): 2003, 2004
• UEFA Champions League (Europe's top club competition): 2003–04
• UEFA Cup (Europe's second top club competition): 2002–03
• Intercontinental Cup (Match between European and South American champions): 2004

Portugal National Team

• UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2004

Orders

• Medal of Merit, Order of the Immaculate Conception of Vila Viçosa (House of Braganza)

See also

In Spanish: Nuno Valente para niños