.jpg) Pereira in action for Portugal | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | João Pedro da Silva Pereira | ||
| Date of birth | 25 February 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Lisbon, Portugal | ||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Right back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Valencia | ||
| Number | 12 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1990–1994 | Domingos Sávio | ||
| 1994–2003 | Benfica | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2003–2006 | Benfica | 58 | (0) |
| 2005 | Benfica B | 2 | (0) |
| 2006 | → Gil Vicente (loan) | 14 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | Gil Vicente | 25 | (1) |
| 2007–2009 | Braga | 67 | (1) |
| 2010–2012 | Sporting CP | 61 | (3) |
| 2012– | Valencia | 30 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2004–2007 | Portugal U21 | 23 | (1) |
| 2010– | Portugal | 32 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 00:00, 2 June 2013.
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 00:00, 11 June 2013 (UTC) | |||
João Pedro da Silva Pereira (born 25 February 1984) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Valencia CF in Spain and the Portuguese national team, mainly as a right defender.
An offensive wingback, he is also known for his fiery temperament that leads to altercations with adversary players and referees numerous times.[1] In his country, he represented both Benfica andSporting, amassing top division totals of 199 games and nine goals and winning the 2005 national championship with the former.
Club career
Benfica
Pereira was born in Lisbon. A product of local S.L. Benfica's youth system, he first appeared with its main side on 17 August 2003 in a 0–0 away draw against Boavista FC, and finished his debut season with 25league appearances, mostly as a midfielder.
Pereira was part of the Benfica squad that won the 2005 championship, starting often, until a fallout with coach Ronald Koeman relegated him to the bench and later to the B-team. He was sold to Gil Vicente F.C. – also in the top flight – in the 2006 summer, after a previous loan to the same club.
Braga
In 2007–08, fully reconverted into a right back, Pereira joined S.C. Braga, as another player in the position, Luís Filipe, went the other way.[2]
An undisputed starter from the beginning, he scored his first goal for the Minho side on 22 February 2009, a 2–1 last-minute winner at Associação Naval 1º de Maio. He also collected 18 yellow cards and one redin his first two seasons combined.
Sporting
On 22 December 2009, Pereira moved to Sporting Clube de Portugal for a fee of €3 million;[3] at the time Braga led the league alongside Benfica, with 12 points in advance to his new club, with the Lionseventually finishing fourth.
Pereira again featured regularly for Sporting in the 2010–11 season, both as a defender and a midfielder, as his team ranked in third position. On 30 April 2011 he scored in a 2–1 home win against Portimonense SC, but was also sent off midway through the second half (after teammate André Santos) for repeatedly and severely insulting referee Duarte Gomes.[4]
Valencia
On 24 May 2012 Pereira signed with Valencia CF in Spain for €3.6 million, penning a 3+1 contract.[5] He made his official debut on 19 August, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–1 away draw against Real Madrid.[6]
International career
Pereira was first called to the Portuguese national team in October 2010, following the appointment of new coach Paulo Bento. He made his debut in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier against Denmark, and also started in the following match – in the same competition – in Iceland, with the national side winning both games 3–1.
