José Júnior

Infobox Football biography
playername = Junior


fullname = José Luiz Guimarães Sanabio Júnior
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1976|6|15
cityofbirth = Fortaleza
countryofbirth = Brazil
currentclub = F.C. Copenhagen
height = height|m=1.83
position = Striker
clubnumber = 18
contractend = 30 June 2010 [cite web |url=http://www.sjat.com/html/fck_kontrakter.htm |title=Kontraktlængder i FCK |publisher=SJAT.COM |last=Poulsen |first=Anders |accessdate=2008-01-31 |language=Danish ]
youthyears =
youthclubs = Ferroviário
years = 1999
1999-2000
2000-2001
2001-2002
2002
2002-2003
2003-2005
2004-2005
2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2008-present
clubs = Fortaleza
Córdoba CF
K.S.K. Beveren
AC Ajaccio
Treze
Walsall
Derby County
→ Rotherham United "(loan)"
Watford
Odense Boldklub
Malmö FF
F.C. Copenhagen
caps(goals) = - (-)
17 (10)
38 (17)
14 (4)
pcupdate = 24 September 2008

José Luiz Guimarães Sanabio Júnior, or simply Júnior, (born June 15, 1976 in Fortaleza) is a Brazilian football striker. He plays for Danish Superliga club F.C. Copenhagen.

He has represented many clubs including Derby County and Rotherham United and has to date played in seven different countries. He arrived in Europe and at English First Division side Walsall from Brazilian side Treze at the beginning of the 2002/03 season. Júnior and Jorge Leitão formed a Portuguese speaking front-line that was envied by most clubs in the league. They scored 29 goals during the course of the season, playing for a side which many believe was the most talented Walsall team since the clubs golden era under Bill Moore in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

However, in August 2003 Júnior moved on to Derby County, but only after Walsall manager Colin Lee had fought to get his signature. His final game at Bescot demonstrated his skills perfectly, scoring a hat-trick against The Rams. The very same club that ended up signing him. Having scored 16 goals for Walsall in the previous season, he had already shown his worth and Júnior also got off to a good start at Derby County, forming a talented partnership up front with the Charlton loanee Mathias Svensson. But Svensson was called back, while Júnior got knee injured in September 2003 and when he finally got back from injury, a crusiate knee ligamants, he did not get much of a chance to play. So he soon moved to Rotherham on a loan deal and later to Watford, who incidentally sold him due to a problem with legal paperwork and his apparent lack of correct personal permits.

He first came to Denmark in October 2005 - putting on the blue and white stipes of Odense Boldklub, with who he scored an astonishing 10 goals in 17 matches before being sold to Swedish squad Malmö FF on July 1st 2006.

He has scored 17 goals in 38 appearances for Malmö FF and his reputation in Sweden is very high.On April 16, 2007, Júnior scored the 3000th goal in Malmö FF history, when he scored 1-0 against GAIS after one minute.

Junior is left footed.

Career

* Ferroviário
* Fortaleza 1999
* Córdoba CF 1999-2000
* K.S.K. Beveren 2000-2001
* AC Ajaccio 2001-2002
* Treze 2002
* Walsall 2002-2003
* Derby County 2003-2005
* Rotherham United 2004-2005 (loan)
* Watford 2005
* Odense Boldklub 2005-2006
* Malmö FF 2006-2008
* F.C. Copenhagen 2008-present

References

External links

*da icon [http://fck.dk/truppen/spillerprofil/?playerid=202 F.C. Copenhagen profile]
*pt icon [http://200.159.15.35/registro/registro.aspx?s=00129509 CBF BID]
*en icon [http://www.walsall.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=74213 Walsall Brazilians]
*en icon [http://www.derbycounty.dk/artikler/god-never-forgets-his-sons.html Júnior interview]