Weldon (footballer)

Weldon

Personal information
Full name	Weldon Santos de Andrade
Date of birth	(1980-08-06) 6 August 1980
Place of birth	Santo André, Brazil
Height
Position(s)	Striker
Team information
Current team	Olhanense
Number	9
Youth career
1999	América-SP
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2000–2002	Santos	11	(1)
2002	Brasiliense
2003	Sport Recife	26	(7)
2004	Ponte Preta	26	(8)
2004–2005	Al Nassr	36	(9)
2005–2009	Cruzeiro	15	(3)
2006	→ Sochaux (loan)	7	(1)
2006	→ Troyes (loan)	3	(0)
2007	→ Sport Recife (loan)	19	(3)
2007–2008	→ Belenenses (loan)	27	(13)
2009	Sport Recife	8	(4)
2009–2011	Benfica	16	(5)
2011–2013	CFR Cluj	24	(9)
2012	→ Changchun Yatai (loan)	21	(6)
2013–2014	Criciúma	2	(0)
2014	Anápolis	8	(0)
2014–	Olhanense	22	(2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 24 May 2015

Weldon Santos de Andrade (born 6 August 1980), known simply as Weldon, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Portuguese club S.C. Olhanense as a striker.

Club career

Weldon was born in Santo André, São Paulo. In his early career, he represented four clubs in quick succession: Santos Futebol Clube, Brasiliense Futebol Clube, Sport Club do Recife and Associação Atlética Ponte Preta, before moving abroad in 2004 with Al-Nassr FC of Saudi Arabia.

In the following year Weldon signed for Cruzeiro Esporte Clube: he went on to be loaned several times for the duration of his link, including twice in the French Ligue 1, with FC Sochaux-Montbéliard and Troyes AC, where the player was rarely used – only ten games and one goal in two season halves combined.

After an aborted three-year move to Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas, Weldon completed a two-year move to S.L. Benfica of Portugal (he had already played in the country the previous year, with C.F. Os Belenenses) on 21 July 2009. On 16 August he made his official debuts for the Eagles, rescuing a point at home against C.S. Marítimo for the season's opener (1–1); during the club's victorious campaign he served almost exclusively as backup to Óscar Cardozo and Javier Saviola, but made the most of his minutes, namely scoring twice in a 4–2 win at Associação Naval 1º de Maio on 5 April 2010, and another brace in another away triumph (3–2 against Académica de Coimbra).

Weldon only appeared in eight official matches in 2010–11, four in the league, totalling less than 100 minutes overall. In the following years he played in Romania and China.

Honours

Sport

• Campeonato Pernambucano: 2003, 2007

Benfica

• Primeira Liga: 2009–10
• Taça da Liga: 2009–10, 2010–11

External links

• SambaFoot profile
• Weldon at footballzz.co.uk
• Weldon profile at ForaDeJogo
• Weldon at Soccerway