Moreno (Portuguese footballer)

João Miguel da Cunha Teixeira (born 19 August 1981), known as Moreno, is a Portuguese retired footballer who played mainly as a defensive midfielder.

Moreno
Personal information
Full name João Miguel da Cunha Teixeira
Date of birth (1981-08-19) 19 August 1981
Place of birth Urgeses, Portugal
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Vitória Guimarães
Number 6
Youth career
1991–2000 Vitória Guimarães
1996–1999 → Amigos Urgeses (loan)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2001 Felgueiras 0 (0)
2001–2002 Macedo Cavaleiros
2002–2004 Caçadores Taipas 65 (4)
2004–2010 Vitória Guimarães 117 (3)
2010–2012 Leicester City 3 (0)
2012–2013 Nacional 39 (3)
2013–2018 Vitória Guimarães 46 (1)
2013–2016 Vitória Guimarães B 18 (0)
Total 288 (11)
National team
2009 Portugal B 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He spent most of his professional career with Vitória de Guimarães, and also had a one-and-a-half-year spell in England with Leicester City. Over 12 seasons, he amassed Primeira Liga totals of 185 matches and six goals.

Club career

Early years / Vitória

Born in the village of Urgeses, Guimarães, Moreno began playing professionally with F.C. Felgueiras – second division, not collecting one single league appearance – then moved to the lower leagues with C.A. Macedo de Cavaleiros and Clube Caçadores das Taipas. In the 2004–05 season, he joined Vitória S.C. in the Primeira Liga.

Moreno contributed with 14 matches as Vitória moved straight from the second level into a third-place in 2007–08 (although mainly as a substitute). He spent most of the following campaign as a central defender, due to the serious knee condition of teammate Henrique Sereno.[1]

Moreno appeared in 23 games in 2009–10 as the Minho side finished in sixth position, narrowly missing on qualification to the UEFA Europa League.

Leicester City

On 6 August 2010, Moreno signed a two-year contract with Football League Championship club Leicester City,[2] joining compatriots Miguel Vítor and Paulo Sousa (manager).[3] Four days later he made his debut for his new team, in a 4–3 win over Macclesfield Town for the first round of the League Cup.[4]

In August 2011, after only six official appearances in 2010–11, Moreno was told he was free to look for a new club, and was not given a squad number for the upcoming season.[5] His contract was cancelled on 13 January 2012.[6]

Nacional

Moreno returned to his country in the 2012 winter transfer window, joining C.D. Nacional in Madeira until 30 June 2014. He scored twice[7][8] from 12 appearances in his first season, and agreed to cut ties with the club one year before his link expired.[9]

Return to Guimarães

On 4 July 2013, Moreno returned to Vitória Guimarães on a two-year deal.[10] On 7 June 2017, already a fringe player but considered an "unvaluable locker room presence" by manager Pedro Martins,[11] the 35-year-old captain renewed his contract for one season.[12]

Career statistics

Club
As of 11 November 2017[13][14]
Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Other[lower-alpha 1] Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Felgueiras 2000–01 0020———20
Macedo Cavaleiros 2001–02 ———
Caçadores Taipas 2002–03 371———373
2003–04 28310———293
Total 65410———664
Vitória Guimarães 2004–05 16221———183
2005–06 22041—40—301
2006–07 17110———181
2007–08 1403010——180
2008–09 250304130—351
2009–10 2303052——312
Total 117316210370—1508
Leicester City 2010–11 300030——60
2011–12 000000——00
Total 300030——60
Nacional 2011–12 1221011——143
2012–13 2711020——301
Total 3932031——444
Vitória Guimarães 2013–14 22020103010350
2014–15 1210020——141
2015–16 40000020—60
2016–17 403010——60
2017–18 201110200061
Total 44161507010632
Vitória Guimarães B 2013–14 60————60
2014–15 40————40
2015–16 80————80
Total 180————180
Career Total 286112732141401034818
  1. Includes the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira

References
  1. "Sereno foi operado com sucesso aos dois joelhos" [Sereno had successful surgery to both knees] (in Portuguese). Guimarães Digital. 21 October 2008. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  2. "Leicester City sign Portuguese midfielder Moreno". BBC Sport. 6 August 2010. Retrieved 25 December 2010.
  3. "Leicester sign Moreno for an undisclosed fee". Sky Sports. 5 August 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  4. "Leicester 4–3 Macclesfield". BBC Sport. 10 August 2010. Retrieved 25 December 2010.
  5. "Leicester City duo Yann Kermogant and Moreno set to leave". BBC Sport. 15 August 2011. Retrieved 19 August 2011.
  6. "Moreno on the move". Leicester City F.C. 13 January 2012. Archived from the original on 15 January 2012. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  7. "Nacional-Feirense, 2–0 (crónica)" [Nacional-Feirense, 2–0 (match report)] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 22 January 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  8. "Nacional-Sp. Braga, 1–3 (resultado final)" [Nacional-Sp. Braga, 1–3 (final score)] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 3 March 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  9. "Moreno deixa Choupana" [Moreno leaves the Choupana]. Record (in Portuguese). 28 June 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  10. "Moreno regressa ao Vitória de Guimarães" [Moreno returns to Vitória de Guimarães] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 4 July 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  11. "Moreno "fantástico" sem jogar, nas palavras de Pedro Martins" [Moreno "fantastic" without playing, in the words of Pedro Martins]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 7 May 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  12. "Moreno renova contrato e vai para a 11.ª temporada no berço" [Moreno renews contract and heads out to 11th season in the cradle]. Record (in Portuguese). 7 June 2017. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  13. "Moreno". ForaDeJogo. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  14. "Moreno". Soccerway. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
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