Ricardo Nunes

For the Portuguese goalkeeper, see Ricardo Nunes (footballer, born 1982).

For the Brazilian politician, see Ricardo Nunes (politician).

This name uses Portuguese naming customs. The first or maternal family name is dos Santos and the second or paternal family name is Nunes.

Ricardo Nunes

220px Nunes playing for Žilina in 2012
Personal information
Full name	Ricardo Nuno dos Santos Nunes
Date of birth	(1986-06-18) 18 June 1986
Place of birth	Johannesburg, South Africa
Height
Position(s)	Left back
Youth career
1998–2002	Estoril
2002–2005	Benfica
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2005–2006	Benfica B	23	(1)
2006–2007	Lamia	30	(0)
2007–2008	AEP	25	(2)
2008–2010	Aris Limassol	32	(7)
2010	Olympiakos Nicosia	12	(1)
2010–2011	Trofense	7	(0)
2011–2012	Portimonense	17	(0)
2012–2013	Žilina	51	(2)
2014	Levski Sofia	9	(0)
2014–2020	Pogoń Szczecin	143	(6)
International career‡
2003	Portugal U17	4	(0)
2012–2013	South Africa	5	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 July 2020 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 8 June 2013

Ricardo Nuno dos Santos Nunes (born 18 June 1986) is a South African professional footballer who plays as a left back.

Club career

The son of Portuguese parents, Nunes was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and moved to Portugal, where he started playing football. He first appeared for G.D. Estoril Praia, joining the club at the age of 12.

After emerging through S.L. Benfica's youth system – he only played for its reserves, spending the 2005–06 campaign in the third division – Nunes continued playing as a senior in the lower leagues of Greece and Cyprus. It was in Cyprus where he had his first taste of top-flight football, appearing in the First Division for AEP Paphos FC and Olympiakos Nicosia.

On 31 January 2012, after one and a half seasons in the Portuguese Segunda Liga, Nunes signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with MŠK Žilina. In February 2014 he moved clubs and countries again, joining Bulgaria's PFC Levski Sofia until June 2015.

Nunes signed with Pogoń Szczecin of the Polish Ekstraklasa in 2014, and made 153 competitive appearances over a six-year spell.

International career

Although Nunes was born in South Africa, he represented Portugal at under-17 level. This meant that he required permission from FIFA before he could switch allegiance to South Africa, after he had spoken with Gordon Igesund.

In early October 2012, Nunes was named in the South Africa squad for friendlies against Poland and Kenya. During this announcement, Igesund said that "Nunes is a very exciting player" and that he is "a specialist free kick taker". He made his debut on the 12th against Poland, a 0–1 loss in Warsaw.

External links

• Ricardo Nunes profile at ForaDeJogo
• Ricardo Nunes profile at 90minut
• Portugal national team data
• Ricardo Nunes at National-Football-Teams.com
• Levski official profile
• Ricardo Nunes at Soccerway