Raul Meireles

Profile Football Stars | Raul Meireles | By his great performances, Meireles was brought to the Portuguese powerhouse, FC Porto, winning three league titles in a row Primeira, adding two Portuguese Cups and three Portuguese Super Cup. In 2010 he moved to Liverpool where he won the 2011 PFA Fans' Player of the Year award following a very successful first season in the Premier League. On August 2011, Meireles signed for Chelsea, joining his former manager André Villas-Boas with whom he had spent a short period of time. In international football career began at youth Meireles national level when he Represented the Under-16 side at the 2000 UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship in Israel.

In the summer of 2001, the Desportivo Aves from the Liga de Honra (Portuguese second level football competition) signed on loan from Boavista Meireles, and he was presented on 8 July. He made his senior debut on 8 August 2001, a friendly match against Gondomar, Which Desportivo das Aves won 3-0. In his first campaign, Meireles clocked up only 16 league appearances. In the 2002-03 season, on 25 May 2003, he scored his first senior goal against União da Madeira Meireles fired a shot 30 meters out past the reach of the goalkeeper União He scored just one goal in twenty-six league appearances that season. In the 2003-04 season, he returned to Boavista after a two-year loan spell. Meireles made his debut in the Portuguese first league against Benfica on 17 August 2003, and was chosen as the man of the match by the Portuguese Record newspaper. That season, he failed to score any goals but, he made 29 league appearances, proving that he was important for the team.

Five days later, on 23 February, Meireles made his Premier League debut against Inter Milan, playing the entire 90 minutes. During that season, he made only 13 league appearances, ten as substitute, no recording goals. During the season 2005-06, on 19 February 2006, Meireles scored his first goal for the team in his 50th league appearance, giving a 1-0 home victory over Maritimo. Only three games later, on 10 March, he scored his second goal of the season in a 2-0 league triumph against Vitória de Setúbal. In that campaign, he scored two goals in 18 appearances, winning his first career title, the Portuguese league trophy, and some days later his second, the Portuguese Cup. In the following four seasons, Meireles featured regularly in Porto's midfield. He scored his first goal in the Champions League during the 2006-07 season, on 21 February 2007, against Chelsea.

Only four days later, he made his Champions League victory in a 4-1 over Steaua Bucharest at Anfield debut. on 16 January 2011, Meireles scored his first goal for Liverpool against Everton in a 2-2 Premier League draw at Anfield, coinciding with Kenny Dalglish's first home game back as manager. On 2 February 2011, he scored another goal, his third in four games in a 2-0 home victory against Stoke City, and four days later made it four in five, by scoring the victory goal at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea. his goal tally for Meireles Increased the club on 12 February by scoring against Wigan Athletic, taking his tally to five goals in six Premier League matches.  Meireles started the 2011-12 Premier League campaign as a 75th minute substitute against Sunderland.

In the following year, he scored his first Chelsea goal during their UEFA Champions League group stage 5-0 victory against Racing Genk.  On 12 December 2012, Meireles scored his first Premier League goal for the Blues in a 2-1 home win over league leaders Manchester United. In the following round, on 18 March, Meireles scored a goal and two assists provided to Fernando Torres game, who ended his goal drought 24 in the 5-2 win against Leicester City that sealed a berth for the Wembley FA Cup semi-final. On the final match day of the season, Meireles scored second goal of the Chelsea '2-1 victory, his second Premier League goal of the season, relegated over Blackburn.

Next year, Meireles Represented the under-17 team in the 2001 Meridian Cup held in Bari, Italy. Consequently, Portugal finished third in the competition. In November, he was named in the Portuguese squad for European Under-19 Championship qualifying tournament, where Portugal assured a place in the major competition, and Meireles scored one goal in The 2-1 loss against Belarus. Meireles regularly featured in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.  As expected, on 10 May 2010, Meireles was named in the Portuguese squad for the 2010 World Cup. He started all of Portugal's matches at the tournament, scoring one goal in Portugal's second group stage match against North Korea in Cape Town.

Personal information
Jose Raul Meireles fullname Trindade
Date of Birth 17 March 1983 (age 29)
Place of birth Porto, Portugal
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position Midfielder

Club information
Current club Chelsea
Number 16

Youth career
Boavista 1999-2001

Senior career
years team
Boavista 2001-2004 29 (0)
2001-2003 Aves (loan) 42 (1)
Porto 2004-2010 138 (15)
2010-2011 Liverpool 35 (5)
2011-Chelsea 29 (2)

National team
2003-2005 U21 Portugal 26 (2)
2004-Portugal 55 (8)

Honours

Club
postage
     Portuguese League (4): 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09
     Taça de Portugal (3): 2006, 2009, 2010
     Supertaça Candido de Oliveira (3): 2006, 2009, 2010

Chelsea
     FA Cup: 2011-12

Country
     UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship: 2000

Individual
     PFA Fans' Player of the Month: February 2011
     PFA Fans' Player of the Year: 2011