 Teixeira playing forLiverpool in 2013 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | João Carlos Vilaça Teixeira | ||
| Date of birth | (1993-01-18)18 January 1993 (age 32)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Braga, Portugal | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder,Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Shanghai Shenhua | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2003–2004 | Braga | ||
| 2004–2012 | Sporting CP | ||
| 2012–2013 | Liverpool | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013–2016 | Liverpool | 2 | (0) |
| 2013 | →Brentford (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | →Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) | 32 | (5) |
| 2016–2018 | Porto | 8 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | →Braga (loan) | 14 | (0) |
| 2018–2020 | Vitória Guimarães | 41 | (8) |
| 2020–2022 | Feyenoord | 19 | (0) |
| 2022 | Famalicão | 11 | (2) |
| 2022–2023 | Umm Salal | 16 | (4) |
| 2023– | Shanghai Shenhua | 70 | (15) |
| International career | |||
| 2008–2009 | Portugal U16 | 9 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | Portugal U17 | 16 | (1) |
| 2010–2011 | Portugal U18 | 6 | (1) |
| 2011–2012 | Portugal U19 | 5 | (2) |
| 2012–2013 | Portugal U20 | 6 | (0) |
| 2013–2015 | Portugal U21 | 2 | (1) |
| 2016 | Portugal Olympic | 1 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22 November 2025 | |||
João Carlos Vilaça Teixeira (born 18 January 1993) is a Portuguese professionalfootballer who plays as anattacking midfielder forChinese Super League clubShanghai Shenhua.
After developing atBraga andSporting CP he joinedLiverpool for £800,000 in January 2012. He made eight total appearances for Liverpool, scoring once, and had loans atBrentford inLeague One andBrighton & Hove Albion in theChampionship, winningPlayer of the Year at the latter. He returned to Portugal in 2016, and made over 70Primeira Liga appearances for Braga,Porto,Vitória de Guimarães andFamalicão.
Teixeira joinedSporting CP from hometown clubBraga in 2004 and progressed through the youth teams.[citation needed] He began training with the first team and was given the number 46 shirt for the2011–12 season.[citation needed] His first involvement for the senior side came in December 2011, when he was an unused substitute forEuropa League matches againstFC Zürich andLazio.
Having been a youth player atBraga andSporting CP, Teixeira joinedPremier League sideLiverpool in a £830,000 deal during the January 2012transfer window.[3] He had impressedLiverpool Academy manager Frank McParland with his performances inmidfield for Sporting Lisbon against Liverpool during the2011–12 NextGen Series.[citation needed] The move almost fell through due to a back injury.[citation needed] Upon joining Liverpool, Teixeira was hailed as "the newDeco".[4][5] Teixeira made 20U21 Premier League appearances for Liverpool during the2012–13 season, scoring 2 goals as Liverpool reached the competition's semi-finals, where they lost 3–0 toManchester United.
Teixeira made his first U21 appearance of the2013–14 season on 2 September, scoring the equaliser in a 1–1 draw withLeicester City, and followed it with the concluding goal of a 5–0 rout ofTottenham Hotspur on 7 October.[6]
Amidst interest fromBologna, Teixeira joinedLeague One sideBrentford on 10 September 2013 on a youth loan running until 5 January 2014.[7] On 14 September he made the first professional appearance of his career in a 4–3 victory atTranmere Rovers, coming on as an added-time substitute forGeorge Saville.[8] He then made his second appearance on 23 September as a substitute forMartin Fillo, playing 21 minutes in a 2–0 home defeat toLeyton Orient.[9] However, as Brentford fell further down League One, managerUwe Rösler admitted that due to the team's downturn in form, he could no longer guarantee the game time Liverpool expected for Teixeira.[10][11][12] The loan was therefore terminated early by Liverpool on 7 October, Teixeira having made just two league appearances.[11]
After returning to the Liverpool Reserves, on 12 February 2014 Teixeira made his senior team debut as an 82nd-minute substitute forRaheem Sterling againstFulham, in a tightly contested 3–2 win atCraven Cottage. He was involved in the buildup play that led toDaniel Sturridge winning the penalty that won Liverpool the game.[13] The young midfielder was praised after the game by managerBrendan Rodgers and captainSteven Gerrard.[14][15]
On 15 August 2014, Teixeira joined Championship sideBrighton & Hove Albion on a season-long loan deal, signed by former Liverpool defenderSami Hyypiä.[16] Teixeira made his debut the day after joining, coming on as a 64th-minute substitute forKazenga LuaLua in a 1–0 defeat away toBirmingham City.[17]
On 19 August, he scored his first goal on his first full start for the club, opening a 2–0 victory againstLeeds United.[18] He went on to score his second goal for the club just four days later, the winner as they came from behind to defeatBolton Wanderers 2–1.[19]
Teixeira scored twice in the first half in a 3–2 home win overIpswich Town on 21 January 2015.[20] A month later, he scored a further two goals for a 4–3 victory against Birmingham.[21] On 14 April, Teixeira suffered a broken leg as a result of a challenge byHuddersfield Town'sNahki Wells during a goalless draw. Ruled out for the remainder of the season, he was recalled by Liverpool.[22] On 20 April, he was voted asBrighton's Young Player of the Year after ending the season as their top scorer in the league with 6 goals.[23] On 19 May, Teixeira was also awarded Liverpool'sAcademy Player of the Year.[24]
On 28 October 2015, Teixeira made his first start for Liverpool against Bournemouth in theLeague Cup and assistedNathaniel Clyne to score the only goal of the game.[25] On 20 January 2016, in aFA CupThird round replay, Teixeira scored his first competitive goal for Liverpool, the last to round off a 3–0 victory overExeter City.[26]
On 12 June 2016, Teixeira announced that he had agreed to joinPorto following the expiration of his contract with Liverpool.[27] His departure was confirmed by Liverpool two days later, with the club due £250,000 compensation.[28][29]
Teixeira was loaned back to his hometown club Braga on 31 August 2017, for the season.[30] He played 23 times, scoring once, an equaliser in aUEFA Europa League 2–1 win atHoffenheim on 14 September.[31]
In a surprise move on 26 July 2018, Teixeira joined Braga's local rivalsVitória S.C. on a three-year deal.[32] He did not score until 13 months later, when he netted in home wins overJeunesse Esch andVentspils in Europa League qualifiers;[33]2019–20 was the most prolific league season of his career with eight goals.[34]
On 4 September 2020, Teixeira went back abroad on a two-year deal with the option for a third atFeyenoord in the DutchEredivisie; no fee was disclosed.[35] Having not scored in 24 appearances, mostly as a substitute, he returned to his country's top division on 31 January 2022 withFamalicão.[36]
Teixeira signed a two-year deal atUmm Salal in theQatar Stars League on 27 June 2022.[37] In April 2023, he joinedChinese Super League clubShanghai Shenhua on a contract until December 2024.[38]
Teixeira represented Portugal at every age group fromU16 toU21. He was included in theunder-17 squad for the2010 UEFA European Championship. He made his U21 debut in afriendly againstCroatia in June 2013, starting the match and scoring in the 84th minute.[39]
| Club | Season | League | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Liverpool | 2013–14 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 7 | 1 | |||
| Total | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 8 | 1 | |||
| Brentford (loan) | 2013–14 | League One | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| Brighton (loan) | 2014–15 | Championship | 32 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 6 | ||
| Porto | 2016–17 | Primeira Liga | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |
| Braga (loan) | 2017–18 | Primeira Liga | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | 23 | 1 | |
| Vitória de Guimarães | 2018–19 | Primeira Liga | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 23 | 0 | |
| 2019–20 | 21 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | — | 30 | 10 | |||
| Total | 41 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 2 | — | 53 | 10 | |||
| Feyenoord | 2020–21 | Eredivisie | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | |
| 2021–22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |||
| Famalicão | 2021–22 | Primeira Liga | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 2 | ||
| Umm Salal | 2022–23 | Qatar Stars League | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | — | 22 | 5 | ||
| Shanghai Shenhua | 2023 | Chinese Super League | 18 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 18 | 1 | |||
| 2024 | 25 | 8 | 1 | 1 | — | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 9 | |||
| 2025 | 27 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 7 | |||
| Total | 70 | 15 | 3 | 1 | — | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 87 | 17 | |||
| Career total | 193 | 35 | 11 | 2 | 16 | 1 | 29 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 252 | 42 | ||
Shanghai Shenhua
Individual
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