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Players: Abel Freddy Adu H. Almeida Pablo Aimar Bruno Alves Anderson J. Andrade N. Assis Vitor Baia Boa Morte Bosingwa M. Caneira Cardozo R. Carvalho Ze Castro Jorge Costa Rui Costa Conceicao Costinha F. Couto M. da Costa Dady Deco Derlei Di Maria C. Martins Y. Djalo Duda P. Emanuel M. Fernandes P. Ferreira Luis Figo Luis Filipe Nuno Gomes L. Gonzalez Helton Izmailov Karagounis Katsouranis Liedson L. Lopez Luisao David Luiz Makukula Maniche Mantorras F. Meira R. Meireles P. Mendes Miguel Miguelito Moreira J. Moutinho Nani Nelson R. Patricio Pauleta C. Peixoto Pepe Petit Pereirinha Joao Pinto H. Postiga Polga Quaresma Quim J. Ribeiro Ricardo R. Rocha F. Rochemback C. Rodriguez Ronaldo Romagnoli P. Sousa Simao Tarik Tiago J. Tomas Tonel Miguel Veloso Hugo Viana Vukcevic Abel Xavier Select player

Player profile: Miguel Veloso

Full name: Miguel Luis Pinto Veloso

Position: Defender/Midfielder

Date of Birth: 11 May 1986

Birthplace: Coimbra, Portugal

Miguel Veloso is a highly promising central defender who is equally at home playing as a defensive midfielder.

He burst onto the scene in spectacular fashion at the start of the 2006/07 campaign when he was thrown in at the deep end in Sporting’s opening Champions League match at home to a star-studded Inter Milan side.

Before the match much was made of Luis Figo’s homecoming, but by the end of the ninety minutes all the talk was of Veloso, who turned in a man-of-the-match display to completely shut Figo and company out and help Sporting to a memorable 1-0 win.

Veloso possesses an imposing physical presence and is extremely strong in the air, although he usually dispenses with the need to get physical due to a highly tuned sense of anticipation. He is an accurate passer, with even long throughballs rarely missing their intended target and he also has a tremendously powerful shot.

Footballing family

He is the son of Antonio Veloso, the former Portugal and Benfica stalwart defender. Veloso junior started his career at the same club where his father made his name, but at 14 he switched to rivals Sporting upon recommendation from his father because of the club’s unrivalled reputation in nurturing home-grown players.

He spent the entire 2005/06 season on loan to Olivais e Moscavide helping the team to promotion. The following season Sporting’s first-team coach Paulo Bento had no hesitation in throwing the 20-year-old straight in at the deep end, and Veloso belied his years to become a mainstay of the team, keeping Sporting’s major summer acquisition Carlos Paredes on the sidelines.

Long-term contract

Inevitably rumours quickly began swirling that some of Europe’s biggest clubs were preparing to make a bid for the talented youngster, but in January 2007 Veloso signed a long-term contract keeping him at the club until 2013.

Provided he stays injury free Miguel Veloso looks set for a glittering career at the very top of the game.

2007/08 end-of-season update

Throughout his two seasons since bursting onto the scene at Sporting, Miguel Veloso has grown in stature to become a crucial cog in the dynamics of the Lisbon outfit. At the end of the campaign Paulo Bento revealed how highly he regarded the player in answering the inevitable question as to whether he was prepared to lose the young midfielder in the close season.

“Planning for next season with Miguel Veloso is one thing. Planning for next season without Miguel Veloso is something completely different,” said the highly respected Sporting coach.

Curiosity - Fashion and a fat behind

With Euro 2008 approaching Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari fired out a warning to players on the fringes of the squad in his inimitable style: “Those who like spending time at fashion shows and who have an overlarge butt will probably miss the bus to Austria and Switzerland.”

On both counts the comments were perceived as being directed at Veloso, who had taken a liking to the Portuguese fashion scene and gained a few excess kilos over the Christmas period. The warning was heeded, and a leaner Veloso was soon seen, with the improved maturity of his displays on the pitch making headlines rather than his incursions into the world of male modelling.


Although starting his career as a centre-back, it is as a deep-lying midfielder that Veloso has excelled, often running games on his own thanks to his uncanny ability to select the right option in every, even the tightest, of situations and magnificent passing.

With rumours linking Veloso to a move to one of Europe’s biggest clubs appearing on almost a daily basis, it is highly likely Paulo Bento has been spending more time on Plan B than Plan A.

CLUB APPEARANCES* GOALS Sporting** 51 1       PORTUGAL** 7 0

* League only
** Up to 18 June 2008