 Caiçara withLudogorets Razgrad in 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Uilson de Souza Paula Júnior | ||
| Date of birth | (1989-04-27)27 April 1989 (age 36) | ||
| Place of birth | Santos, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position | Right-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Santo André | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005–2007 | São Vicente | ||
| 2007–2008 | Santo André | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008–2012 | Santo André | 1 | (0) |
| 2009 | →CSA (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2010 | →América-SP (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2010–2012 | →Gil Vicente (loan) | 56 | (1) |
| 2012–2015 | Ludogorets Razgrad | 83 | (0) |
| 2015–2017 | Schalke 04 | 26 | (0) |
| 2017–2023 | İstanbul Başakşehir | 158 | (2) |
| 2023 | Santos | 5 | (0) |
| 2024– | Santo André | 0 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 14:10, 14 November 2023 (UTC) | |||
Uilson de Souza Paula Júnior (born 27 April 1989), commonly known asJúnior Caiçara, is a Brazilianfootballer who plays as aright-back forSanto André.
Caiçara's first professional club isSanto André. In 2009, after making his senior debut with their B-team in the previous year'sCopa Paulista,[1] he was loaned out to Brazilian teamCSA.[2]
Back to Santo André in May 2009,[3] Júnior Caiçara made hisSérie A debut on 16 May, starting and beingsent off in a 4–2 away win overCoritiba.[4] In 2010, he was sent on loan toAmérica-SP, where he featured in fourCampeonato Paulista Série A2 matches before being released on 10 February.[5]
In June 2010, Caiçara goes to Portugal teamGil Vicente again on loan from Santo André.[6] He made his debut on 29 August againstTrofense in the second Portugal league. He helped his team to gain promotion in thePrimeira Liga and played with the team in their return in Primeira Liga.
After playing two seasons forGil Vicente in Portugal, Júnior Caiçara joined Bulgarian sideLudogorets Razgrad on 5 June 2012.[7] He signed a three-year contract and was given the number 80 jersey.
On 11 July, Caiçara marked his debut for Ludogorets with a goal and first trophy. He opened the scoring in the2012 Bulgarian Supercup againstLokomotiv Plovdiv, the match ended 3–1 to Ludogorets.[8] On 18 July, he made his European debut againstDinamo Zagreb in the second qualifying round of theChampions League. Then he made hisBulgarian A Group debut, playing full 90 minutes in a 3–0 away win overCherno More Varna on 11 August. Caiçara quickly established himself as Ludogorets's first choice right-back, making 28 league appearances during his debut campaign in Bulgaria. He collected his first A group title winner's medal at the end of the2012–13 season.
On 21 August 2013, Caiçara was sent off againstBasel in a 4–2 home defeat in the play-off round of theChampions League, his first red card in a Ludogorets shirt.[9]
On 12 December 2014, Ludogorets announced that Caiçara had extended his contract with a new two-year deal that will keep him at the club until 2017.[10]
On 25 June 2015, Caiçara signed with German clubSchalke 04 on a three-year deal for a fee of €4.5 million.[11] He made hisBundesliga debut in a 1–1 draw withDarmstadt 98.
On 16 January 2017, Caiçara signed with Turkish clubİstanbul Başakşehir F.K. on a 3.5-year deal for an undisclosed fee.[12] Three days later he made his debut for the team in theTurkish Cup coming as a substitute in the 61 minute in a match againstYeni Amasyaspor.[13] On 22 January, he completed his debut for the team coming as a substitute again in a match againstFenerbahçe in theSüper Lig.[14]
On 19 February 2023, Caiçara terminated his contract with the club.[15]
On 21 August 2023, Caiçara returned to his home country after signing a contract withSantos in the top tier until the end of the year.[16]
On 3 January 2024, Caiçara returned to Santo André for the season.[17]
Caicara is eligible for bothBrazil andBulgaria since on 1 July 2014 he got aBulgarian passport and became able to play for Bulgaria from 2017. He said that he would be happy to represent Bulgaria on the international level.[18] On 25 February 2017, he mentioned again that he would represent Bulgaria if he got an invite since the old manager,Ivaylo Petev, wanted him, and he is waiting for a call fromPetar Hubchev.[19]
| Club performance | League | State League[a] | Cup[b] | League Cup[c] | Continental[d] | Other[e] | Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Season | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| Santo André | 2008 | Série B | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |||
| 2009 | Série A | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | 11 | 0 | |||||
| CSA (loan) | 2009[21] | Série D | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||||
| América-SP (loan) | 2010 | Paulista A2 | — | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | ||||||
| Gil Vicente (loan) | 2010–11 | Segunda Liga | 28 | 1 | — | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | — | 35 | 2 | ||||
| 2011–12 | Primeira Liga | 28 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | — | 35 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 56 | 1 | — | 2 | 0 | 12 | 2 | — | — | 70 | 3 | ||||||
| Ludogorets Razgrad | 2012–13 | A Group | 28 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 1 | |||
| 2013–14 | 29 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | — | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 53 | 0 | |||||
| 2014–15 | 26 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 83 | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | — | 28 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 128 | 1 | |||||
| Schalke 04 | 2015–16 | Bundesliga | 23 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | — | 32 | 0 | ||||
| 2016–17 | 3 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 4 | 1 | — | 9 | 1 | ||||||
| Total | 26 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 1 | |||||
| İstanbul Başakşehir | 2016–17 | Süper Lig | 14 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 18 | 0 | ||||
| 2017–18 | 31 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | — | 42 | 0 | ||||||
| 2018–19 | 33 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 37 | 0 | ||||||
| 2019–20 | 33 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | — | 44 | 0 | ||||||
| 2020–21 | 8 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | ||||||
| 2021–22 | 27 | 2 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 28 | 2 | ||||||
| 2022–23 | 10 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | — | 19 | 2 | ||||||
| Total | 156 | 2 | — | 8 | 0 | — | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 197 | 2 | |||||
| Santos | 2023 | Série A | 5 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||||||
| Santo André | 2024 | Série D | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Career total | 327 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 72 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 464 | 7 | |||
Gil Vicente
Ludogorets Razgrad
İstanbul Başakşehir