chelseafc.comCHELSEA FOOTBALL CLUB OFFICIAL SITE

Name:	Paulo Ferreira
Nationality:	Portuguese
Date of Birth:	18/01/1979
Height:	6' 0" (182cm)
Weight:	12st 0lbs (76.0kg)
Previous
Clubs:	Porto
Position:	Defender

>> My Link - Buy my new away shirt now

In 2004, José Mourinho paid a British record £13.2 million fee for a full-back to purchase the defender who had walked the road to Champions League glory with him at Porto.

 

Both player and manager had also won league titles in Portugal and were immediately into the winning groove in England, Paulo one of the major reasons why the Chelsea defence suffocated so many attacks in that first campaign.

 

A broken foot in March 2005 removed him from the action but by then he had already won the Carling Cup and played his part on Chelsea's route to a first championship in 50 years and a record breaking defensive season.

 

With consistent and solid defending, the young Paulo had become an international within six months of signing for Porto from lower table side Vitória Setubal - although his nation's big party in the summer of Euro 2004 fell flat for him.

 

He was dropped after a mistake in the opening game, only returning midway through Portugal's last game.

 

However he had been voted the best right-back in Europe the previous season and immediately became first choice on arriving at The Bridge.

 

In his second season, he was a less regular choice with William Gallas and later Gérémi often preferred at right-back.

 

He made 18+3 league appearances on the way to a second title and remained a full-back of choice in the Champions League. He played in midfield in FA Cup semi-final defeat by Liverpool.

 

That season he at last scored his first goal since moving to a top level club, in the FA Cup v Colchester. In the World Cup that followed, he was a second-choice selection for his nation.

 

In August 2006, Gallas departed with new competition arriving in the shape of Khalid Boulahrouz. Paulo was just as likely to be found at stand-in centre-back as right-back in the early part of 2006/7 but he came back strongly.

 

In the second half of last campaign he regained the right-back shirt regularly and capped a return to his best form by playing a big part in subduing the celebrated Ronaldo in the FA Cup Final. Currently, he's Portugal's first choice at left-back.