portuguese association football player

dos Santos Gato Alves and the second or paternal family name is Dias. In this portuguese name, the first or maternal family name isand the second or paternal family name is Rúben dos Santos Gato Alves Dias ( portuguese pronunciation : [ ˈʁubn ˈdiɐʃ ] ; born 14 May 1997 ) is a portuguese master football player who plays as a centre-back for Premier League club Manchester City and the Portugal national team. Considered one of the best defenders in the world, [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] Dias is known for his military capability, leadership, communicate and forward pass ability. [ 8 ] [ 9 ] [ 10 ]

defense intelligence agency came through Benfica ‘s youth academy. He began playing for Benfica B in 2015 and was promoted to the first-team in 2017, and was named the Primeira Liga ‘s Young Player of the year. The follow season, Dias ‘ performances helped Benfica win the league title in the 2018–19 season and late the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira during the 2019–20 season, while besides being named in the Primeira Liga ‘s team of the year, making over 100 appearances in the process. He signed for Premier League club Manchester City in September 2020 for a report fee of €68 million, becoming the second-highest fee for a Portuguese player leaving the domestic league. Dias won the league title and EFL Cup in his first gear season, while besides guiding the club to their first UEFA Champions League final. He was besides named FWA Footballer of the Year, Manchester City Player of the Year, Premier League Player of the Season and the UEFA Champions League Defender of the Season in 2021. Dias is a erstwhile Portugal youth international, representing his country at under-16, under-17, under-19, under-20 and under-21 levels. He made his senior international debut in 2018, being chosen in Portugal ‘s squads for the 2018 World Cup, 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals and UEFA Euro 2020 ; he won the 2019 tournament on dwelling land, while being named in the team of the tournament and man of the match in the final .

early on life [edit ]

Born and raised in Amadora, [ 11 ] Dias has an older buddy Ivan, who is besides a professional football musician, and two sisters Beatriz and Carolina, who nicknamed him “ Ruby ”. [ 12 ] Growing up, Dias his idols were John Terry, Nemanja Vidić, Rio Ferdinand and Vincent Kompany, whom he looked to emulate, as he idolized playing in the Premier League. He would play football wherever he could on the streets or in his house with his brother Ivan. [ 13 ]

Club career [edit ]

Benfica B [edit ]

Dias started his career at local anesthetic club Estrela district attorney Amadora after being brought to the club by a close syndicate member. [ 12 ] Dias initially played as a hitter, before switching to defense mechanism, due to his team being losing by two goals during a equal. [ 13 ] [ 14 ] Before moving to Benfica ‘s young person academy in 2008, where he played initially as a midfielder, before to cardinal defense for the junior side until 2015. [ 13 ] In the like year, on 30 September, he made his professional debut with Benfica B in a 2015–16 LigaPro match against Chaves. [ 15 ] On 7 March 2016, Rui Vitória called 18-year-old Dias for Benfica ‘s UEFA Champions League Round of 16-second peg tie against Zenit Saint Petersburg after three of his four chief centre-backs were unable to make the trip to Russia. [ 16 ] The following season he helped the B team stopping point one-fourth ; the club ‘s highest ever situation obtained in the second division. He besides helped the junior team reach the concluding of the 2016–17 UEFA Youth League. [ 17 ]

Benfica [edit ]

On 16 September 2017, Dias debuted for the first team in a Primeira Liga couple against Boavista. After two months of impressive displays, [ 18 ] including two games against Manchester United in the Champions League, he undergo surgery due to appendicitis, sidelining him for a month. [ 19 ] He scored his first finish for Benfica in a Taça district attorney Liga meet ( 2–2 ) against Vitória de Setúbal on 29 December 2017. [ 20 ] On 3 February 2018, he scored his first finish in the Primeira Liga against Rio Ave ( 5–1 ). [ 21 ] At the end of the season, he was voted Primeira Liga ‘s best unseasoned player of the class. [ 22 ] After heavy guess linking Dias to a adult money motivate to french side Lyon, he extended his sign with Benfica until 2023. [ 23 ] On 2 November 2019, Dias played his hundredth game for the club and scored the open goal against Rio Ave in a 2-0 home plate victory. [ 24 ] On 26 September 2020, Dias scored the orifice goal against Moreirense in a 2–0 win. [ 25 ] After the game, director Jorge Jesus admitted that it was credibly his last game for the golf club. [ 26 ]

Manchester City [edit ]

2020–21 : debut season and european final [edit ]

Dias signed for English Premier League club Manchester City on 29 September 2020 on a six-year contract, for a fee reported of €68 million ( £61.64 million ), with Benfica receiving an initial tip of €56.6 million ( £51 million ), plus Nicolás Otamendi being sent to Benfica in part-exchange for €15 million, which could rise to €71.6 million, including performance-related bonuses. [ 27 ] [ 28 ] On 3 October 2020, Dias made his league debut for City in a 1–1 aside draw against Leeds United. [ 29 ] Dias was named the Manchester City Player of the Month for November 2020, following a series of very solid defensive performances. [ 30 ] On 27 February 2021, Dias scored his first goal for City in a 2–1 family league win over West Ham United. [ 31 ] He was praised as being a keystone gene in Manchester City regaining the Premier League title that season by bringing composure, leadership and stability back to the defense. [ 32 ] Dias won the FWA Footballer of the year for the 2020–21 season, who described him as a “ comfortable winner ” ahead of Harry Kane and Kevin De Bruyne, and becoming the beginning defender to win the award since Steve Nicol in the 1988–89 season. [ 33 ] He was besides named Manchester City ‘s Player of the Season [ 34 ] and the Premier League Player of the Season. [ 35 ]

2021–22 season [edit ]

On 15 September 2021, Dias captained Manchester City for the beginning time, providing an serve for Jack Grealish in a 6–3 home Champions League win against RB Leipzig. [ 36 ] On 1 December, Dias opened the score in Manchester City ‘s 2–1 victory over Aston Villa, with his first finish from outside the box in his career. [ 37 ]

International career [edit ]

youth [edit ]

Dias represented the Under-17 slope at the 2014 UEFA european Under-17 Championship. Two years later, he captained the Under-19 squad at the 2016 UEFA european Under-19 Championship. The follow year, he captained the Under-20 side at the 2017 U-20 World Cup, which lost to Uruguay 5–4 on penalties in the quarterfinals. On 5 September 2017, he made his debut for the Under-21s in a 2019 UEFA european Under-21 Championship qualification match against Wales. [ 38 ]

senior [edit ]

Dias was called up to the elder side by Portugal director Fernando Santos on 15 March 2018, ahead of external friendlies against Egypt and the Netherlands. however, four days late he was dropped from the team after picking up right ankle twist. [ 39 ] On 17 May 2018, Dias was named in Portugal ‘s 23-man team for the FIFA World Cup in Russia. [ 40 ] [ 41 ] Eleven days late, he made his international debut in a friendly against Tunisia. [ 42 ] Despite being present at the World Cup, he did not feature in any of Portugal ‘s four matches in the competition. [ 43 ]

Following the World Cup, Dias began establishing himself in the central defense, overtaking José Fonte ‘s place aboard Pepe, featuring in all of Portugal ‘s 2018–19 UEFA Nations League matches, helping Portugal reach the 2019 UEFA Nations League Final on home dirty. On 9 June, Portugal defeated the Netherlands 1–0 in the tournament ‘s final, with Dias being named man of the match. [ 44 ] For his performances throughout the competition, he was named in the “ team of the Tournament “. [ 45 ] On 17 November, Dias scored his first external goals during the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League, netting a brace in a 3–2 victory against Croatia. [ 46 ] [ 47 ] [ 48 ] He was selected to the team for the UEFA Euro 2020. [ 49 ] On 19 June 2021, he scored an own goal in the 35th minute in a 2–4 loss against Germany in the UEFA Euro 2020. [ 50 ] He appeared in all of Portugal ‘s matches, being finally eliminated at the round of 16, following a 1–0 loss against Belgium. [ 51 ] [ 52 ]

style of maneuver [edit ]

Dias is a physically strong, right-footed centre-back, who normally features on the left side of cardinal defense, due to being comfortable at passing the testis with both feet. He is able to pass in different directions, whether to a teammate on the same side as him, or switching it to the opposing side or making vertical line-breaking passes. Combining his two-footedness with a very good extremely crop, Dias can dictate play in any commission from the back. Dias ’ strength on the ball when shielding it away from forwards running down his distribution channel. Dias is very composure on the ball besides and rarely finds himself in a bus of coerce. Dias is extremely adept at passing, particularly in longer passes, as his pass quality and ability is able to help his team retain possession. Dias is besides dominant in the air, winning most of his forward pass duels, as he looks to target his teammates and find them on a regular footing. Dias besides uses his size to help him contest well in tackles, as he besides his great at bodying up on players to win the ball binding. He has a good-timing as he is able to anticipate a player ‘s action or react for a “ last-ditch ” challenge. [ 8 ] [ 53 ] His Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola, stated that “ Dias a kernel back who leads the defensive telephone line and in doing therefore helps others to make adept decisions, the like happens in sexual intercourse to midfielders [ … ] he is a musician capable of living every moment of the crippled [ … ] constantly being focused on what he has to do and he makes his partner better. ” [ 54 ] [ 55 ] José Mourinho would praise Dias as the “ best centre-back in global [ … ] for the Premier League, [ he ‘s ] gaining another grade of experience, cognition ”. [ 56 ] former Manchester United defender Gary Neville, stated that “ Dias is the type of player who makes the whole team find safe. ” meanwhile, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher would compare Dias to legendary Barcelona defender Carles Puyol, stating that “ the sum of interceptions ” during a UEFA Champions League meet reminded him of legendary Premier League defender John Terry, while besides praising his “ leadership skills ”. [ 57 ]

personal life [edit ]

Dias dated portuguese pop star April Ivy since 2018, before the couple separated in September 2021. [ 58 ]

career statistics [edit ]

club [edit ]

As of match played 4 December 2021

International [edit ]

As of match played 14 November 2021[62]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Portugal 2018 7 0
2019 10 0
2020 7 2
2021 13 0
Total 37 2
As of match played 14 November 2021. Portugal score listed first, score column indicates score after each Dias goal.[62]
List of international goals scored by Rúben Dias
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1 17 November 2020 Stadion Poljud, Split, Croatia 24  Croatia 1–1 3–2 2020–21 UEFA Nations League A [63]
2 3–2

Honours [edit ]

Benfica
Manchester City
Portugal
Individual

References [edit ]

  • Profile at the Manchester City F.C. website
  • Profile at the Portuguese Football Federation website ( in Portuguese )
  • Rúben Dias – UEFA competition record (archive) Edit this at Wikidata

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