Miguel Alexandre Areias Lopes (born 2 June 1977), known as Areias, is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played mainly as a left-back.

Miguel Areias
Personal information
Full name Miguel Alexandre Areias Lopes
Date of birth (1977-06-02) 2 June 1977 (age 47)
Place of birth Porto, Portugal
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Left-back
Youth career
1986–1991 Porto
1991–1992 Candal
1992–1993 Espinho
1993–1995 Salgueiros
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1995–1996 Ermesinde
1996–1997 Estrela Portalegre
1997–1998 Juventude Ronfe
1998–2000 Ovarense 61 (11)
2000–2004 Beira-Mar 71 (1)
2004–2007 Porto 9 (0)
2005–2006Boavista (loan) 30 (0)
2006Standard Liège (loan) 10 (1)
2007Celta (loan) 1 (0)
2007–2008 Belenenses 5 (0)
2008–2009 Trofense 14 (0)
2010–2011 Leixões 9 (0)
Total 210 (13)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

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After establishing himself as a professional player with S.C. Beira-Mar, Porto-born Areias joined Primeira Liga club FC Porto for the 2004–05 season but, after being rarely used, he was consecutively loaned for the duration of his contract: Boavista FC,[1] Standard Liège (where he teamed up with former Portuguese internationals Sérgio Conceição and Ricardo Sá Pinto)[2] and RC Celta de Vigo; arrived in January 2007 at the latter, he only managed one La Liga appearance during his short spell, a 0–2 home loss against RCD Espanyol.[3][4][5]

Released, Areias signed with C.F. Os Belenenses on a free transfer, for the 2007–08 campaign.[6] Unsettled, he switched the following year to newly promoted C.D. Trofense, also in the top division.[7] After featuring rarely as the Lisbon side finished eighth, he could not help prevent the northern newcomers from being relegated in their first season ever.[8]

In the summer of 2010, after one year out of football, the 33-year-old Areias signed with Leixões S.C. of the Segunda Liga.[9] He left at the end of the season, having played less than one third of the league games for the Matosinhos-based team.

Areias retired in 2011, and started working immediately as a players' agent. He returned to Porto four years later, as youth coach.[10]

References

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