Fernando Nélson

This name uses Portuguese naming customs. The first or maternal family name is Vieira and the second or paternal family name is Alves.

Fernando Nélson

Personal information
Full name	Fernando Nélson Jesus Vieira Alves
Date of birth	(1971-11-05) 5 November 1971
Place of birth	Porto, Portugal
Height
Position(s)	Right back
Youth career
1983–1986	Porto
1987	Rio Tinto
1987–1990	Salgueiros
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1990–1991	Salgueiros	23	(0)
1991–1996	Sporting CP	115	(2)
1996–1998	Aston Villa	60	(0)
1998–2002	Porto	32	(0)
2002–2004	Vitória Setúbal	32	(1)
2004–2006	Rio Tinto
Total		261	(3)
International career
1991	Portugal U20	4	(0)
1992–1994	Portugal U21	22	(0)
1995–2001	Portugal	11	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Fernando Nélson Jesus Vieira Alves (born 5 November 1971), known as Nélson, is a Portuguese retired footballer who played as a right back.

Best known for his spell at Sporting, he also played for Porto in his country, having a two-year stint at Aston Villa in England as well.

Over the course of ten seasons, Nélson amassed Primeira Liga totals of 202 games and three goals.

Football career

Nélson was born in Porto. After starting professionally at local S.C. Salgueiros he moved to first division club Sporting Clube de Portugal, immediately after having helped the national under-20s win the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship, played in the country.

At the Lisbon-based club, Nélson won the 1995 Portuguese Cup. After producing three final solid seasons, where he amassed nearly 100 league appearances and scored one goal apiece, he joined Premier League team Aston Villa in the 1996 summer, under manager Brian Little.

After two productive campaigns with the Midlands side, he signed with FC Porto in July 1998 – his first youth club – winning his first national championship in his debut season.

During the following three years Nélson would be used irregularly at Porto (playing as much as 20 matches and as little as none), and moved in 2002 to Vitória de Setúbal. After two seasons with amateurs S.C. Rio Tinto he retired from football, becoming president of the latter.

Personal life

Nélson's twin brother, Albertino, was also a footballer and a defender. He too started his career – which spanned more than two decades, with teams in all levels of Portuguese football – with Porto (youth) and Salgueiros, and amassed top division totals of 204 games and one goal, mainly with C.S. Marítimo (seven seasons, 169/1).

External links

• Fernando Nélson at footballzz.co.uk
• Fernando Nélson profile at ForaDeJogo
• Fernando Nélson career statistics at Soccerbase
• Fernando Nélson at National-Football-Teams.com
• Fernando Nélson – FIFA competition record