- Raul Meireles
Football player infobox
playername = Raul Meireles
fullname = Raul José Trindade Meireles
height = height|m=1.79
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1983|3|17
cityofbirth =Porto
countryofbirth =Portugal
currentclub =FC Porto
clubnumber = 16
position =Central midfielder
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 2001-2003
2003-2004
2004-
clubs =CD Aves Boavista FC FC Porto
caps(goals) = 42 (1) 24 (0)
84 (9)
nationalyears = 2006-
nationalteam = Portugal
nationalcaps(goals) = 15 (1)
pcupdate =July 1 ,2008
ntupdate =September 21 ,2008 Raul José Trindade Meireles (spelling "Raúl" is common but wrong) (born
17 March 1983 inPorto ) is a Portuguese footballmidfielder , who plays forFutebol Clube do Porto and the Portuguese national team. Meireles plays as an all-aroundcentral midfielder ordefensive midfielder , with excellent passing and long-range shooting.Club career
After having grown to prominence in Portuguese football with
Boavista FC , Meireles was bought in the summer of 2004 by anotherPorto side, powerhouseFC Porto . After just 13 league appearances in 2004-05, he became first-choice in central midfield, alongside ArgentineLucho González .In the
UEFA Champions League 2006-07 , Meireles scored in a deflected volley againstChelsea F.C. in a 1-1 draw at the "Estádio do Dragão ", as Porto went on to lose the tie 3-2 on aggregate.International career
Meireles debuted with Portugal in 2006, and was part of the nation's squad in
UEFA Euro 2008 , scoring a late goal as a substitute against Turkey, in aJune 7 ,2008 2-0 win.Honours
*Portuguese League 2006, 2007, 2008
*Portuguese Cup 2006
*Portuguese SuperCup 2006
*UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship: 2000
*UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship : 3rd place 2004External links
* [http://www.zerozero.eu/uk/jogador.php?id=517 Stats and profile at zerozero.pt]
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