Profile Raul Meireles

Personal information :

Full name : Raul José Trindade Meireles
Date of birth : March 17, 1983
Place of birth : Porto, Portugal
Height : 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position : Midfielder
Current club : Liverpool
Number : 4
Youth career :
1999–2001 Boavista
Senior career :
2001–2004 Boavista
2001–2003 Aves (loan)
2004–2010 Porto
2010– Liverpool
National team :
2003–2005 Portugal U21
2006– Portugal

Club career

Boavista (2001-2004)

In the 2001 summer, Desportivo das Aves from Liga de Honra (Portuguese second horizontal football competition) gestured on lend Raul Meireles, and he was handed on eight July. He prepared his senior debut on eight August 2001, in a friendly suit against Gondomar, which Desportivo das Aves won 3-0. In his first campaign Meireles clocked upward merely sixteen league appearances. In the 2002-03 season, on 25 May 2003, he scored his first senior target against União da Madeira - Meireles flamed a thirty-meters send past the arrive of União goalkeeper. He scored just one target in twenty-six league arrivals that season. In the 2003-04 season, he returned to Boavista afterwards a two-years lend spell. Meireles prepared his debut in the Portuguese first league on 17 August 2003 against Benfica, and he was assessed the man of the suit via the Portuguese newspaper Record. That season he didn't score any targets, but he prepared twenty nine league arrivals, proving that he was significant for the team.

Porto (2004-2010)

2004-2006

On seven July 2004, Porto gestured Raul Meireles on a five–year contract, being handed in press convention on 12 July. Wearing the figure 33 shirt, Meireles prepared his Porto debut on 22 September against União de Leiria at Estádio do Dragão, emanating off the bench in the 59th tiny as they draw 1-1. On 18 February 2005, he prepared his first suit in the beginning eleven, in a away league victory against Belenenses. Five days subsequent, on 23 February, Meireles prepared his UEFA Champions League debut against Inter Milan, playing the complete match. In that season he prepared merely thirteen league arrivals, ten as substitute, scoring no goals. In the 2005-06 season, on 19 February 2006, Meireles scored his first target for the team in his 50th league arrival, where Porto defeat Maritimo via 1-0. Only three sport subsequent, on ten March, he scored his second target of the season in a 0-2 league victory across Vitória de Setúbal. In that campaign he scored pair targets in eighteen arrivals, winning his first Portuguese league name and Portuguese Cup.

2006-2010

In the chasing four seasons, Meireles featured routinely in Porto's midfield. He scored his first target in the UEFA Champions League during the 2006-07 season, on 21 February 2007, against Chelsea. He won three Portuguese League names in a row, in 2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09, adding pair Portuguese Cups in 2009 and 2010.

Liverpool (2010-present)

On 29 August 2010, Meireles shifted to Liverpool for a payment of £11.5 million plus sporting bonuses, being awarded the figure 4 shirt which was vacated via the Italian Alberto Aquilani whoever has stringed Juventus on loan. The club purchased the actor as an moment replenishment for the Argentine Javier Mascherano, whoever stringed Barcelona. He prepared his Premier League debut as a substitute on 12 September 2010 in a 0–0 away draw against Birmingham City. Only 4 days subsequent, he prepared his UEFA Europa League debut in a 4–1 victory across FC Steaua Bucureşti at Anfield.[21] He was handed his first league begin on the 19th September in a 3–2 loss against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Meireles scored his first target for Liverpool against Everton in a 2–2 draw on 16 January 2011 in Kenny Dalglish's first home game rear as manager. His second target came six days subsequent, with a spectacular right foot volley at Wolverhampton Wanderers in a 3–0 win.[24] He scored his third target in four sport on two February 2011 in a 2–0 home win against Stoke City, and thereafter prepared it four in five, via scoring at Stamford Bridge, against Chelsea during a 1-0 win on six February. He boosted his target score for the club on 12 February via scoring against Wigan Athletic.

International career

Youth team

Under-16 to Under-20

Although he qualities routinely for the Portugal national team, Meireles' global career originated at youth level. He represented the Under-16 side at the 2000 UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship in Israel, as shortly as his rural approached all the way to the final defeating Czech Republic via 2-1. Next year, Meireles represented the Under-17 team in the 2001 Meridian Cup held in Bari, Italy. In this tournament, he played the complete game on Portugal's opportunity suit 6–0 victory against Nigeria, thereafter he began again in Portugal's chasing 1-1 draw against Ghana, and, on the third and final tournament suit, he was again in the beginning eleven during the 4-2 victory across Cameroon. Consequently Portugal done third in the competition. In November he was dubbed in the Portuguese squad for European Under-19 Championship qualifying tournament, where Portugal confident a position in the main competition, and Meireles scored one target in the 1-2 loss against Belarus. On two June 2003, he was chosen in the Portuguese Under-20 squad for the 2003 Toulon Tournament, in which competition he was appointed the second best actor of the tournament.

Under-21 and Olympics

Raul Meireles featured routinely in the 2004 European Under-21 Championship qualifying degree, encompassing an epic playoff game against France where the midfielder played the complete game, and Portugal appeared victorious 1–4 on penalties. As expected, he was dubbed in the 2004 European Under-21 Championship Portuguese squad. Meireles played in four of Portugal's five suits in the tournament, encompassing the 1-3 defeat against Sweden,[38] the 2-2 draw against Switzerland and the 1-2 victory across Germany, all in the team stage. He misses the semi-finals suit due to a suspension, but he emerged again in the third position suit victory against Sweden, where Portugal confident a position in the 2004 Summer Olympics. On 21 July 2004, Meireles was chosen as a fraction of José Romão's 18-man squad for the 2004 Summer Olympics held in Athens, Greece. In the first team game against Iraq, Meireles came on as a second-half substitute and Portugal no where 4-2. He began the following pair team degree matches. Portugal win in their second game against Morocco, and no where 2-4 in their third against Costa Rica, and consequently, they were eliminated from the tournament.

Senior team

In November 2006, Raul Meireles had his first arrival for the Portuguese national team, in a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying suit against Kazakhstan. On 12 May 2008, Meireles was chosen for the Portuguese UEFA Euro 2008 squad. In this tournament, he came on as a 83th tiny substitute in Portugal's first team degree suit against Turkey, scoring his first global goal. He thereafter began alongside Portugal's park players in their third team suit against host-nation Switzerland. Four days subsequent, Meireles prepared his third arrival in the tournament, as shortly as he came on as a substitute for João Moutinho afterwards 31 minutes in the quarter-finals 2-3 no where against Germany. Raul Meireles featured routinely in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches. He scored an significant away target in the 0-1 victory across Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the second play-off game afterwards scraping a 1-0 win in Lisbon. Portugal won 2–0 on compound and qualified for the final phases in South Africa. As expected, on ten May 2010, Meireles was dubbed in the Portuguese squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He began all of Portugal's suits at the tournament, scoring one target in Portugal's second team degree suit against North Korea, in Cape Town. Portugal arrived the around of 16, where they no where 1-0 against Spain.