Derlei

Early career

Born in São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Derlei began playing in the lower levels of Brazilian football, but joined Portugal's União Leiria in 1999, going on to appear in 92 competitive games for the club. In his last season, as they overachieved for a final seventh place in the Primeira Liga led by young manager José Mourinho, he scored 21 goals.

Porto and Dynamo

Derlei signed with Porto in the summer of 2002, playing an important part in a successful squad that was also managed by Mourinho, and being nicknamed "Ninja" while playing for the northern side. In his second game on 2 September, a 1–0 local derby victory at Boavista, he was sent off for fighting with his compatriot and former Leiria teammate, Éder Gaúcho; he was suspended for two games and his opponent for one. He was the top scorer of the 2002–03 UEFA Cup with 12 goals in 13 games; this tally included two in the 3–2 final win against Celtic to overtake opponent Henrik Larsson, as well as braces in the preceding rounds against Panathinaikos and Lazio. In the 2003–04 Primeira Liga, Derlei was leading the domestic goalscoring chart, including a hat-trick on 5 October in a 4–1 home win over Académica de Coimbra, but suffered a right knee anterior cruciate ligament injury against Alverca on 22 December, initially being ruled out for the rest of the season by the club's doctor. He recovered to face the same team on 25 April, and on 5 May he scored a penalty for the only goal of the…

After winning the UEFA Cup with Porto in 2003, Derlei was called up to represent Brazil at that year's Confederations Cup, which several of the team's regulars had declined. He turned down the offer as it required for him to sign up to a company. Derlei then began the process of acquiring Portuguese nationality in the aim of representing their national side on home soil at UEFA Euro 2004, but injury allowed his former clubmate Postiga to cement a place instead. His citizenship was confirmed that August, after the tournament, but he was never called up.

América-RN

Campeonato Potiguar: 1996 Porto

Primeira Liga: 2002–03, 2003–04 Taça de Portugal: 2002–03 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2003, 2004 UEFA Champions League: 2003–04 UEFA Cup: 2002–03 Intercontinental Cup: 2004 Sporting

Taça de Portugal: 2007–08 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2007, 2008 Taça da Liga runner-up: 2007–08, 2008–09 Individual

UEFA Cup Top Scorer: 2002–03 SJPF Player of the Month: October 2004