Ricardo Alberto Silveira de Carvalho is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a centre back for AS Monaco FC and the Portugal national team.
Ricardo Carvalho has always been a centre-back. He is quick, good in the air, and with superb technique, comparisons have been made between him and the legendary Italian defender Franco Baresi. His body is not as strong as a regular centre-back but he likes to play hard and tackle.
Carvalho was born in Amarante where he played for the local team, Amarante Futebol Clube. By his great performance as a youngster, he was spotted by Porto, and in 1996 he was brought to FC Porto Junior team. Between 1997 and 2001 he had loan spells at Leca, where he made his professional debut, Vitoria de Setubal and Alverca, but it was in Jose Mourinho’s reign that he really started to make big strides forward. It was in the 2002–03 season that Carvalho made his name known all around Europe, winning his first domestic league title under Mourinho’s commands, the Portuguese Cup, and the UEFA Cup. His good form led to an international call-up in 2003. In the next season, Carvalho won his second league title in a row, and his first UEFA Champions League title, in which tournament he was named best defender of the tournament.
In July 2004, Carvalho transferred to Chelsea for a fee of just under €30 million. With the Blues, he won two Premier League titles in a row and one League Cup in his first two seasons. In 2008, he helped the club reach the UEFA Champions League final for the first time in their history, a game that they lost 6–5 on penalties against Manchester United. In the same year, he was voted by his fellow Chelsea colleagues as Chelsea's 2008 Players' Player of the Year. Two years later, in the 2009–10 season, Carvalho helped the Blues win their first Championship since 2006 and the FA Cup, by winning this last trophy Chelsea have secured the first ever Double in the club's history. In August 2010, after six years with Chelsea, he transferred to Real Madrid for a fee of £6.7 million. On 28 May 2013, AS Monaco confirmed on their website that they had secured the services of the Portuguese defender from Real Madrid. Carvalho signed a one-year contract with AS Monaco, with the option of a second year.
In international football, Carvalho's national team career began on 11 October 2003 in a friendly match against Albania. He represented Portugal in the UEFA Euro 2004, 2006 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2008, and 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Twitter: twitter.com/ricar2carvalho |
