Paulo Ferreira, Biography

Name:	Paulo Ferreira
Nationality:	Portuguese
Date of Birth:	18/01/1979
Height:	6' 0" (183cm)
Weight:	12st 0lbs (76.0kg)
Previous
Clubs:	Porto
Position:	Defender

Having signed a new five-year contract in February 2008, Paulo would have been looking forward to working under his former international coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, but a sign of things to come came on the opening day of the campaign, as he played just seven minutes as a substitute for new arrival José Bosingwa.
It wasn't until Guus Hiddink's arrival in February 2009 that Ferreira started a Premier League game, covering for Ashley Cole at left-back after Wayne Bridge's departure had made him the main back-up on that side.
The defender, previously a model of consistency under José Mourinho, seemed to have given way to both Bosingwa and the versatile Branislav Ivanovic in his preferred right-back role, Bosingwa also taking over his starting place on the right of the national team defence. In total, there were 3+9 appearances in the 2008/09 season which ended three months early due to a cruciate ligament injury.
To return in a little over six months, as he did when he played 90 minutes against QPR in September last season, showed tremendous commitment to a professional career that had slowed in recent times.
The signing of Bosingwa and Ivanovic, and with Michael Essien as viable right-back alternative, meant the 31-year-old's first-team opportunities would be most likely on the left, where he has played regularly over the last couple of years for Portugal.
Then came the arrival of Yury Zhirkov, also capable of playing in the back four, and suddenly Ferreira's chances of a game looked slim.
Juliano Belletti was preferred to start against Blackburn in October, though Ferreira did come off the bench for the final half-hour, starting the next two games with Ashley Cole out injured.
The quiet defender continued to figure in the League Cup, and even found the net from close range at Blackburn, only his second goal in a Chelsea shirt (his first being against Colchester United in 2005/06) and the third of his career.
Limited appearances followed between Christmas and February, including a fine game against Cardiff in the FA Cup, culminating in a pinpoint cross for Salomon Kalou to nod home the fourth goal.
Had he been registered for the Champions League, where the squad is limited to 25, and must include a quota of home-grown players, Paulo would surely have seen further action in the San Siro, where Florent Malouda played at left-back in a 2-1 defeat to Inter.
It was at this point that both Cole and Zhirkov were absent through injury, and Ferreira could make a significant contribution after waiting so patiently. Injury to Ivanovic at Blackburn however meant it would be on his favoured right side where he made the most impact.
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