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Hulk
Hulk playing for Porto |
| Personal information |
| Full name |
Givanildo Vieira de Souza |
| Date of birth |
25 July 1986 (1986-07-25) (age 23) |
| Place of birth |
Campina Grande, Brazil |
| Height |
1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Playing position |
Forward |
| Club information |
| Current club |
Porto |
| Number |
12 |
| Youth career |
| 2001–2003 |
Vilanovense |
| 2003 |
São Paulo |
| Senior career* |
| Years |
Team |
Apps† |
(Gls)† |
| 2003–2005 |
Vitória |
9 |
(1) |
| 2005–2008 |
Kawasaki Frontale |
11 |
(5) |
| 2006 |
→ Consadole Sapporo (loan) |
38 |
(25) |
| 2007 |
→ Tokyo Verdy (loan) |
42 |
(51) |
| 2008 |
Tokyo Verdy |
31 |
(29) |
| 2008– |
Porto |
51 |
(28) |
| National team |
| 2009– |
Brazil |
2 |
(0) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 04 November 2009.
† Appearances (Goals).
|
Givanildo Vieira de Souza (born 25 July 1986 in Campina Grande), commonly known as Hulk, is an international Brazilian footballer who currently plays as a striker for Portuguese Liga champions, Porto.
As his nickname suggests, Hulk's strength and stocky build are considered his foremost attributes, along with speed, acceleration, and a powerful shot. He received the nickname "Hulk" due to his resemblance to actor Lou Ferrigno, who played the comic book hero.[1] In an interview to a newspaper, he further said that his favorite comic book character as a child was Hulk, hence the nickname given by his mother at a young age.[citation needed]
After taking his professional job with Esporte Clube Vitória in his country, Hulk took the step of emigrating to Japan. There, he played in three clubs in quick succession: Kawasaki Frontale, Consadole Sapporo, and Tokyo Verdy, racking up an impressive goals to games ratio, especially at the latter.
When teammate Tarik Sektioui got injured, Hulk was given an opportunity, and first netted officially for Porto in a 2-0 home win against Belenenses, later adding against and Paços de Ferreira (same venue and result), both as a second-half substitute. As the season advanced, he became an undisputed starter, forming an attacking trio with Cristian Rodríguez and Lisandro López, with the Brazilian, Uruguayan, and the Argentine often shifting from the middle to the flanks. After some stellar performances in the season's Champions League, he was elected as one of the "Top 10 Rising Stars" by UEFA.[2].
On October 27, 2009, he was called up for the first time to the Brazilian national team, for the friendly matches against England and Oman.[3] He made his debut on November 14, 2009 when he came on as a substitute in the 1-0 win against England. He also played the second half of the match against Oman.
Hulk has been ineligible to play domestic football for his current club, FC Porto, since 20th December 2009, when he was alleged to have attacked match stewards after a match at Benfica. If the disciplinary hearing upholds the ban, he will face up to 3 years on the sidelines. The current ban does not prevent him from playing international or European cup football.[4]
Club statistics
Honours
- J. League Division 2
- Top scorer 2007
- Portuguese League
- 2008–09
- Portuguese Cup
- 2008–09
- Portuguese Supercup
- 2008–09
- 2009 Peace Cup
- Top scorer
References
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