Ricardo Alberto Silveira Carvalho, popularly known as Ricardo Carvalho, is a Portuguese international footballer who plays as a central defender. He was born on May 18, 1978 in Amarante, Portugal. He made his debut for his country in October, 2003 against Albania. Since then, Ricardo Carvalho has been the constant pick for the team. He featured in the national team in Euro 2004, where he won a place in the Union of European Football Associations’ (UEFA) all-star squad and was also a part of the 2006 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup.
In 1997, Ricardo Carvalho started his professional football career in F.C. Leça, a Portuguese football club, and he played 22 matches for the club. He was loaned out by the club to Vitória F.C. for the 1999-00 season and appeared in 25 matches. Later he moved to F.C. Alverca on a loan for the 2000-01 season, where he played 23 matches for the club.
Ricardo Carvalho joined F.C. Porto, a Portuguese Football Club, and played in three consecutive seasons since 2001. By the 2003-04 season, Ricardo Carvalho was regarded as a key member of FC Porto’s defense and was voted to be the Best Defender in the UEFA Champion’s League for the season. In that season, FC Porto lifted both the Portuguese Super Liga and the UEFA Champion’s League titles. His performances lured several clubs to have him in their teams.
Finally in the 2004-05 season, Ricardo Carvalho was signed by Chelsea, a English football club, and during the same season, the club went on to win the League Cup and the Premier League title. In 2005-06 season, he contributed a goal for his team against Manchester United in their 3-0 win in finals of the Premier League, and Chelsea were crowned champions for the second consecutive time. He played for the club in both the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, and he has found the position of a key player in the club.
