Helton Arruda

Helton

Helton with Porto in 2013
Personal information
Full name	Helton da Silva Arruda
Date of birth	(1978-05-18) 18 May 1978 (age 38)
Place of birth	São Gonçalo, Brazil
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team	None
Youth career
1995–1999	Vasco da Gama
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1999–2002	Vasco da Gama	52	(0)
2003–2005	União Leiria	67	(0)
2005–2016	Porto	232	(0)
National team
2000	Brazil U23	6	(0)
2006–2007	Brazil	3	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 14 May 2016.

Helton da Silva Arruda (born 18 May 1978), known simply as Helton, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper.

After starting out at Vasco da Gama he went on to spend his professional career in Portugal, representing União de Leiria and Porto and winning 18 major titles for the latter. During 14 seasons, he appeared in 299 Primeira Liga games.

Helton appeared for Brazil at the 2007 Copa América.

Born in São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro, Helton emerged through CR Vasco da Gama's youth system. He first attracted attention after winning the Série A and the Copa Mercosur with the club in 2000.

In 2002, Helton's contract with Vasco expired and he signed with Portuguese club U.D. Leiria. He made his official debut on 9 March 2003 in a 3–1 home win against Académica de Coimbra for the Taça de Portugal, and backed up Paulo Costinha in his first season.

At the end of the 2004–05 campaign, after being first-choice in his last two years, Helton signed with FC Porto.

It seemed that Helton was destined to spend a long time bench-warming, as Porto legend Vítor Baía barred his way into the first team. However, he got his chance sooner than expected when Dutch coach Co Adriaanse summarily dropped Baía after a mistake against C.F. Estrela da Amadora cost the team a goal and a 1–2 away defeat, on 15 January 2006.