Paulo Tavares

Paulo Tavares

Personal information
Full name	Paulo Daniel Fernandes Tavares
Date of birth	9 December 1985
Place of birth	Massarelos, Portugal
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 ^1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current team	Port Vale
Number	8
Youth career
1995–2001	Senhora da Hora
2001–2004	Leixões
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2004–2012	Leixões	46	(6)
2004–2006	→ Padroense (loan)
2006–2008	→ Ribeirão (loan)	35	(1)
2008	→ Estoril (loan)	13	(2)
2012–2016	Vitória Setúbal	87	(6)
2016–	Port Vale	17	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 00:00, 27 November 2016 (UTC).

Paulo Daniel Fernandes Tavares (born 9 December 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for English League One club Port Vale.

He made his first team debut with Leixões in May 2004, and then spent the next four years on loan with lower league clubs Padroense, Ribeirão, and Estoril. He played in the Primeira Liga with Leixões in 2008–09, though the club were relegated the following season. He returned to the Primeira Liga when he signed with Vitória Setúbal in July 2012, and remained with the club for four years. He joined English club Port Vale in July 2016.

Playing career

Leixões

Paulo Daniel Fernandes Tavares was born in Massarelos, and began his career in Senhora da Hora. He came through the junior ranks at Leixões to make his first team debut in the Segunda Liga (second tier) on 9 May 2004, coming on as a 77th minute substitute for Bruno China in a 1–1 draw with Varzim at the Estádio do Mar.^[1] He went on to spend two years at Terceira Divisão (fourth tier) club Padroense, helping them to finish 13th in Série B in 2004–05 and 15th in 2005–06; with the latter campaign seeing the club relegated into the regional leagues (fifth tier). Tavares then joined Ribeirão on loan, making 20 appearances in the 2006–07 campaign as the club finished fourth in Segunda Divisão - Série A (third tier). He then featured in 17 league games in the 2007–08 season, before moving back up to the Liga de Honra (second tier) with Estoril. He scored two goals in 13 league games for Estoril, who ended the 2007–08 season in seventh place.

He returned to the first team at Leixões in 2008, with the club now in the Primeira Liga (first tier). Initially a squad player under José Mota, he featured in just four league games in both the 2008–09 and 2009–10 campaigns. The club were relegated in 2009–10, and Tavares played 12 games in the 2010–11 campaign, before he secured a first team place in the 2011–12, scoring seven goals in 34 appearances.

Vitória Setúbal

Tavares then returned to the Primeira Liga to sign with Vitória Setúbal in July 2012, now coached by José Mota.^[2] He scored twice in 32 games in the 2012–13 season, helping the club to finish two points above the relegation zone. He then scored five goals (including four penalties) in 18 games in 2013–14 as Vitória posted a seventh place finish, though missed four months of the season with a fractured toe.^[3] He signed a new two-year contract in April 2014.^[4] He scored twice in 32 matches in the 2014–15 campaign as Vitória finished in 14th place, and he featured 22 times in the 2015–16 season as the club finished just one point above the relegation zone. He was offered a new two-year contract by new manager José Couceiro in May 2016.^[5] However he decided to reject the offer and look for a new club.^[6]

Port Vale

Tavares signed a two-year contract with English League One club Port Vale in July 2016, in a move that reunited him with former Vitória manager Bruno Ribeiro.^[7] He started the first five league games of the 2016–17 season, before picking up a hamstring injury at the end of August.^[8] He quickly returned to the first team, and along with Kjell Knops was only one of two of the club's 11 overseas signings to secure a regular place in the starting eleven.^[9]

Statistics

Club	Season	Division	League		National Cup[lower-alpha 1]		Other[lower-alpha 2]		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Ribeirão (loan)	2006–07[10]	Segunda Divisão - Série A	18	1	2	0	0	0	20	1
	2007–08[10]	Segunda Divisão - Série A	17	0	1	0	0	0	18	0
	Total		35	1	3	0	0	0	38	1
Estoril (loan)	2007–08[10]	Liga de Honra	13	2	0	0	0	0	13	2
Leixões	2003–04[10]	Segunda Liga	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
	2008–09[10]	Primeira Liga	4	0	1	1	1	0	6	1
	2009–10[10]	Primeira Liga	4	0	0	0	2	0	6	0
	2010–11[10]	Liga de Honra	10	0	1	0	1	0	12	0
	2011–12[10]	Liga de Honra	27	6	4	1	3	0	34	7
	Total		46	6	6	2	7	0	59	8
Vitória Setúbal	2012–13[10]	Primeira Liga	26	2	1	0	5	0	32	2
	2013–14[10]	Primeira Liga	14	3	2	0	2	2	18	5
	2014–15[10]	Primeira Liga	26	1	2	0	4	1	32	2
	2015–16[10]	Primeira Liga	21	0	0	0	1	0	22	0
	Total		87	6	5	0	12	3	104	9
Port Vale	2016–17[11]	League One	17	0	2	0	2	0	21	0
Career total[lower-alpha 3]			198	15	16	2	21	3	235	20

1. Appearances and goals in the Taça de Portugal and FA Cup.
2. Appearances and goals in the Taça da Liga, EFL Cup, and EFL Trophy.
3. Statistics for Padroense not known.

References

1. "Liga de Honra - Day 34". foradejogo.net. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
2. "V. Setúbal contrata Paulo Tavares (ex-Leixões)". Mais Futebol (in Portuguese). 5 July 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
3. "V. Setúbal: Paulo Tavares volta a ser opção quatro meses depois". Mais Futebol (in Portuguese). 23 March 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
4. "V. Setúbal: Paulo Tavares renova até 2016". Mais Futebol (in Portuguese). 29 April 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
5. "Paulo Tavares com proposta para renovar por dois anos". A Bola (in Portuguese). 28 May 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
6. "Paulo Tavares no Port Vale". A Bola (in Portuguese). 22 June 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
7. Baggaley, Mike (5 July 2016). "Port Vale sign Portuguese midfielder Paulo Tavares". The Sentinel. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
8. Baggaley, Mike (27 August 2016). "Port Vale 3, Scunthorpe 1: Ribeiro's tribute to players and fans". The Staffordshire Sentinel. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
9. Baggaley, Mike (14 October 2016). "Five talking points for high-flying Port Vale". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
10. "Statistics". foradejogo.net. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
11. "Games played by Paulo Tavares in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2016.