Paulinho (footballer)
Paulinho with Brazil before the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup Final
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | José Paulo Bezerra Maciel Júnior | ||
| Date of birth | 25 July 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | São Paulo, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
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Current team
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Guangzhou Evergrande | ||
| Number | 8 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2004–2005 | Pão de Açúcar | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2007 | FC Vilnius | 38 | (5) |
| 2007–2008 | ŁKS Łódź | 17 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | Pão de Açúcar | 0 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Bragantino | 28 | (6) |
| 2010–2013 | Corinthians | 86 | (20) |
| 2013–2015 | Tottenham Hotspur | 45 | (6) |
| 2015– | Guangzhou Evergrande | 43 | (10) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2011– | Brazil | 37 | (6) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 30 October 2016. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11 November 2016 |
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José Paulo Bezerra Maciel Júnior, commonly known as Paulinho, (Brazilian Portuguese: [pawˈlĩj̃u]); born 25 July 1988) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande and the Brazil national team.
Paulinho has been described as a box-to-box midfielder, with powerful running and good movement into the box. He possesses the ability to push his side forward from midfield to supplement his strong defensive work. Paulinho also offers a useful presence in set piece situations at both ends of the pitch.
Paulinho began his playing career with Pão de Açúcar, joining the youth squad in 2004. After failing to break through into the first team, Paulinho joined Lithuanian side FC Vilnius in 2006. He played well for the club during his two seasons in Lithuania, scoring five goals from 38 domestic appearances, but at the end of the 2007 LFF Lyga campaign, FC Vilnius were relegated to the second division and Paulinho left the club where he moved to Poland, signing for Ekstraklasa side ŁKS Łódź. Following one season in Poland where Paulinho made 17 league appearances, he returned to Brazil and his first club Pão de Açúcar in the summer of 2008. After a single successful season, Paulinho was on the move again, joining Série B side Bragantino in 2009.
In 2009, playing for Bragantino, he drew the attention of São Paulo giants Corinthians, and was signed by the club. His first league goal for the club came on 30 May 2010, coming off the bench to score Corinthians's fourth goal, sealing a 4–2 win over state rivals Santos. He would eventually go on to win important competitions with the São Paulo side, such as the 2011 Brasileirão and the 2012 Copa Libertadores, cementing himself as a hero for his club. Along the way to the Copa Libertadores final, Paulinho netted the only goal of the two-legged quarter-final tie against fellow Brazilian side Vasco da Gama, scoring in the 87th minute of the second leg on 23 May 2012 to send Corinthians into the semi-finals.
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