Leandro Silva (footballer, born 1994)

Leandro Silva
Personal information
Full name Leandro Miguel Pereira da Silva[1]
Date of birth (1994-05-04) 4 May 1994 (age 30)[1]
Place of birth Castelo de Paiva, Portugal
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
  Académica
Youth career
2002–2006 Paivense
2006–2013 Porto
2009–2010 → Padroense (loan)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2017 Porto B 71 (2)
2015–2016 → Académica (loan) 27 (1)
2016 → Paços Ferreira (loan) 7 (0)
2017 → Académica (loan) 19 (2)
2017–2021 AEL Limassol 50 (6)
2019–2020 → Académica (loan) 22 (2)
2020–2021 → Arouca (loan) 31 (1)
2021–2022 Arouca 31 (1)
2022 Hapoel Haifa 3 (0)
2023–2024 União Leiria 39 (2)
2024 Al-Jandal 3 (1)
2024– Académica 5 (1)
International career
2009–2010 Portugal U16 8 (0)
2010–2011 Portugal U17 15 (1)
2011–2012 Portugal U18 10 (1)
2012–2013 Portugal U19 16 (2)
2014 Portugal U20 3 (1)
2016 Portugal U21 1 (0)
2016 Portugal U23 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13:59, 22 November 2024 (UTC)

Leandro Miguel Pereira da Silva (born 4 May 1994) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Académica de Coimbra.

Club career

Born in Castelo de Paiva, Aveiro District, Silva joined FC Porto's youth system at the age of 12. On 21 August 2013 he made his professional debut with the reserves, coming on as a 67th-minute substitute for Thibaut Vion in a 1–0 away win against Portimonense S.C. in the Segunda Liga.[2] On 22 April 2015, in the semi-finals of the Premier League International Cup, he scored all of his team's goals to help overcome Fulham 3–0.[3]

Silva spent the 2015–16 and 2016–17 seasons on loan in the Primeira Liga, respectively at Académica de Coimbra[4] and F.C. Paços de Ferreira. Due to lack of playing opportunities at the latter he was recalled by his parent club on 26 December 2016,[5] being re-loaned to Académica shortly after.[6]

In the summer of 2017, Silva signed with AEL Limassol in the Cypriot First Division. He served two Portuguese second tier loans until the end of his contract, at Académica[7] and F.C. Arouca;[8] he contributed 31 matches and one goal in his first season at the latter side, helping to a return to the top flight after four years.[9][10]

Already on a permanent two-year deal at Arouca,[11] Silva registered the exact same figures in the 2021–22 campaign as they managed to stay afloat.[12][13][10] In January 2023, following a very brief spell in the Israeli Premier League with Hapoel Haifa FC, he returned to Portugal with U.D. Leiria,[14] achieving promotion to division two with them in May.[15]

Silva went abroad again on 23 July 2024, joining Saudi First Division League club Al-Jandal SC.[16] In September, however, he rejoined Académica for a fourth stint, with the side now in the third tier.[17]

International career

All youth levels comprised, Silva earned 55 caps for Portugal. He made his debut for the under-21 side on 24 March 2016, in a 4–0 home victory over Liechtenstein in the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifiers.[18]

References

  1. ^ a b "Leandro Silva" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Portimonense-FC Porto B, 0–1: O "miúdo" deu 3 pontos" [Portimonense-FC Porto B, 0–1: The "kid" gave 3 points]. Record (in Portuguese). 21 August 2013. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  3. ^ "Fulham U21s 0–3 FC Porto U21s". Fulham F.C. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  4. ^ "Leandro Silva é o novo reforço da Académica" [Leandro Silva is the new Académica addition] (in Portuguese). Académica Coimbra. 6 August 2015. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  5. ^ "Leandro Silva regressa ao FC Porto" [Leandro Silva returns to FC Porto]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 26 December 2016. Archived from the original on 10 January 2017. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
  6. ^ "Leandro Silva vai reforçar Académica" [Leandro Silva will bolster Académica]. Diário de Coimbra (in Portuguese). 19 January 2017. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  7. ^ Marques, Sara (4 July 2019). "Leandro Silva regressa à Académica por empréstimo" [Leandro Silva returns to Académica on loan] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  8. ^ Soares da Silva, Eduardo (5 August 2020). "Leandro Silva emprestado ao Arouca" [Leandro Silva loaned to Arouca] (in Portuguese). Rádio Renascença. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  9. ^ "Arouca: Armando Evangelista dedicou subida aos pais e emocionou-se" [Arouca: Armando Evangelista dedicated promotion to his parents and was moved] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 30 May 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  10. ^ a b "Oficial: Sylla regressa a Arouca e Leandro Silva está de saída" [Official: Sylla returns to Arouca and Leandro Silva is leaving]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 23 June 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  11. ^ "Leandro Silva assina em definitivo pelo Arouca" [Leandro Silva signs permanently for Arouca]. Record (in Portuguese). 2 July 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  12. ^ "FC Arouca fica na Primeira Liga" [FC Arouca stay in First League] (in Portuguese). Roda Viva. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  13. ^ "Leandro Silva deixa Arouca e ruma a Israel" [Leandro Silva leaves Arouca and heads to Israel]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 23 June 2022. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  14. ^ "Leandro Silva regressa a Portugal para reforçar o Leiria" [Leandro Silva returns to Portugal to strengthen Leiria] (in Portuguese). Rádio Renascença. 13 January 2023. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  15. ^ Paulo, Joaquim (5 May 2023). "Diogo Amado: "U. Leiria merece topo do futebol nacional"" [Diogo Amado: "U. Leiria deserve top national football"]. Record (in Portuguese). Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  16. ^ "لياندرو سيلفا ينضم لصفوف مارد الجوف لنهاية الموسم" [Leandro Silva joins Al-Jandal until the end of the season] (in Arabic). Twitter. 23 July 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  17. ^ "Académica reforça-se com Vítor Bruno e Leandro Silva" [Académica strengthen with Vítor Bruno and Leandro Silva]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 11 September 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  18. ^ Castro, Gaspar (24 March 2016). "Golear cedo e cedo descansar no regresso aos Açores" [Early rout and early resting in return to the Azores] (in Portuguese). SAPO. Retrieved 9 January 2017.