Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Bruno Ricardo Mendonça de Caires | ||
Date of birth | 2 April 1976 | ||
Place of birth | Lisbon, Portugal | ||
Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
Playing position | Defensive midfielder | ||
Youth career | |||
1991–1994 | Benfica | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1994–1997 | Benfica | 35 | (2) |
1994–1995 | → Belenenses (loan) | 15 | (0) |
1997–1999 | Celta | 17 | (0) |
1999–2000 | → Tenerife (loan) | 12 | (0) |
2000–2004 | Sporting CP | 0 | (0) |
2001–2004 | Sporting B | 42 | (3) |
2002–2003 | → Maia (loan) | 26 | (1) |
2003 | → Covilhã (loan) | 13 | (0) |
2004–2005 | Louletano | 34 | (1) |
Total | 194 | (7) | |
National team | |||
1991–1992 | Portugal U16 | 12 | (0) |
1992 | Portugal U17 | 3 | (0) |
1992–1993 | Portugal U18 | 12 | (0) |
1994–1995 | Portugal U20 | 13 | (1) |
1995–1997 | Portugal U21 | 8 | (1) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
Bruno Ricardo Mendonça de Caires (born 2 April 1976) is a Portuguese retired footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.
A product of S.L. Benfica's youth system, Lisbon-born Caires was initially loaned to C.F. Os Belenenses in his first year as senior, where he made his Primeira Liga debuts. He returned in the 1995 summer, playing 24 competitive games during the season to help his team finish in second position.
In the 1997 summer, Caires signed for Celta de Vigo, who paid €3.5 million for his services. He made his La Liga debut on 9 November by coming on as a late substitute in a 3–1 away win against CD Tenerife, but his spell in Spain was plagued by injury problems, and he was also loaned to precisely Tenerife in January 2000.
Subsequently, Caires returned to Portugal and its capital, signing for Sporting Clube de Portugal but all but appearing for its B-side in official matches during his tenure, the exceptions being appearances against Real Madrid for the UEFA Champions League and F.C. Famalicão for the Portuguese Cup. He retired in 2005 at the age of only 29 after spells with F.C. Maia, S.C. Covilhã and Louletano DC, the latter two clubs competing in the third division.