| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jorge Manuel Vasconcelos Leitão[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1974-01-14)14 January 1974 (age 52)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Nespereira, Portugal | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1991–1992 | Coimbrões | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1992–1997 | Coimbrões | ||
| 1997–1998 | Avintes | ||
| 1998–2000 | Feirense | 67 | (21) |
| 2000–2005 | Walsall | 233 | (57) |
| 2006–2007 | Beira-Mar | 27 | (8) |
| 2007–2009 | Feirense | 69 | (11) |
| 2009–2012 | Arouca | 83 | (10) |
| Total | 479 | (107) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2012–2018 | Arouca (assistant) | ||
| 2017 | Arouca | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Jorge Manuel Vasconcelos Leitão (born 14 January 1974) is a Portuguese retired professionalfootballer who played as astriker.
He was known for his six-year spell withWalsall in England, but he also scored 28 goals in 169 games in the PortugueseSegunda Liga over seven seasons.
Born in Nespereira,Cinfães,Viseu District, Leitão started playing in amateur football. At 24, he signed withFeirense, being relegated from theSegunda Liga in hisfirst season and netting 14 goals inthe second.[2] In July 2000, he moved to England withWalsall, who paid£150,000 for his services following an impressive trial spell.[3]
Leitão scored a career-best 18 goals in 44 matches in hisdebut campaign. The Saddlers promoted to theChampionship after disposing ofReading in the play-off final.[4][5]
In2001–02, after a difficult start, Leitão's fate was transformed following the sacking ofRay Graydon. In the first game under new managerColin Lee, he scored a brace atPremier League'sCharlton Athletic in thefourth round of theFA Cup.[6] The team also managed to finally stay clear of the relegation zone, and he netted the goal that saved them from the drop, the only one in an away win overSheffield United on 13 April 2002;[7] two weeks later, he extended his contract for a further two years.[8]
2002–03 was Walsall's most successful season in the league since the 1950s, with Leitão pairing with BrazilianJosé Junior for a Portuguese-speaking front line which scored 30 goals.[9] Highlights included a brace againstStoke City (4–2 home win),[10] one againstGrimsby Town (3–1, home)[11] and the game's only againstBrighton & Hove Albion (also at home);[12] however, after the loss of Júnior toDerby County in the summer – his replacement being formerArsenal andEngland starPaul Merson – the teamsuffered relegation, with Leitão netting seven times from 39 appearances, his worst during his tenure.[13][5]
In late December 2005, Leitão signed a pre-contract withBeira-Mar in his country, citing homesickness as a factor in his sudden departure from English football.[14] Though the deal did not come into effect until June 2006, both Merson (now the team's manager) and chairman Jeff Bonser offered to release the player earlier, in recognition of the dedication he had given to the club in his five and a half years of service. The penultimate of his 262 competitive matches for Walsall (71 goals) was a 3–0 defeat away toBristol City, in which he also suffered agroin injury; in his last, atBescot Stadium againstBlackpool, he was treated to a near half-hour rendition of his name by the home fans, eventually being reduced to tears before leaving the field through a guard of honour composed of some of his teammates.[15][5]
After helping Beira-Mar promote to thePrimeira Liga in2006, Leitão had his only experience in the competition, scoring twice in ten appearances as theAveiro side wereimmediately relegated.[16][17][18] He subsequently spent two and a half seasons with Feirense in the second tier and, aged 35, moved to modestArouca.[19]
Immediately after retiring, Leitão was named his last club's assistant coach. On 21 March 2017 he became the third first-team manager ofthe season afterLito Vidigal andManuel Machado.[20] He was not able to prevent top-division relegation, after winning only once in his five games in charge.[21]
Walsall
Beira-Mar
Arouca
