Nenê (footballer, born 1981)

Anderson Luiz de Carvalho (born 19 July 1981), known as Nenê, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for CR Vasco da Gama. A left winger, he is most known for his crossing ability, as well as being a free kick specialist.
He played most of his professional career in Spain, representing four clubs and amassing La Liga totals of 140 games and 23 goals over the course of four seasons, and France, where he appeared with Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain for 142 Ligue 1 matches in four-and-a-half campaigns (55 goals).
Nenê won the 2013 national championship with PSG, also being chosen the league's best foreign player in 2010 while with Monaco. He also spent three months in England, with West Ham United.

Beginnings / Spain

Nenê playing for Espanyol

Born in Jundiaí, São Paulo, Nenê started playing professionally with local Paulista Futebol Clube, at the age of 19. After that, he represented Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras and Santos FC.

In 2003–04 Nenê moved to Spain, first with RCD Mallorca – making his La Liga debut on 14 September 2003 in a 0–4 away loss against Athletic Bilbao – and then Deportivo Alavés. With the Basque side he put up two extraordinary individual seasons, with 21 goals in the league alone, playing his first year in the second division and achieving promotion.

After being relegated from the top level with Alavés in 2006, Nenê met the same fate with Celta de Vigo, again appearing in all 38 league games and totalling nearly 3,000 minutes of action for the Galicians.

AS Monaco

On 24 August 2007, Nenê was transferred to AS Monaco FC for an undisclosed fee. A year later, having already started with the French, he joined RCD Espanyol at the very last day of the summer transfer window on a one-year loan, with a buying option for the Catalonians at the season's end, which was finally not activated.

Back with Monaco, Nenê began the new campaign in impressive scoring fashion, scoring nine goals in his first ten matches – this included a brace against US Boulogne in a 3–1 away success, both from long-range free kicks, as he led the scoring charts for a lengthy period of time.

Paris Saint-Germain

On 11 July 2010, Nenê joined Paris Saint-Germain F.C. in a deal believed to be around €5.5 million. "I'm very happy to have signed for Paris," the player told PSG's official website, adding: "Like PSG, I'm hoping to have a big league season and to pull something off in the Europa League". He scored in his first official appearance, a 3–1 home win against AS Saint-Étienne, adding two on 11 September against newly promoted AC Arles-Avignon (4–0, home). Halfway through the season he had already registered 13 goals, making him the third-highest scorer only behind Moussa Sow and Kévin Gameiro; his displays, free-kick ability and attacking flair earned him comparisons with Ronaldinho, a compatriot who played at the Parc des Princes earlier in the decade, but he only scored one more goal until the end of the campaign, with PSG finally finishing fourth. In the summer of 2011 Paris Saint-Germain were purchased by Qatari investors, and purchased several new players, including Jérémy Menez with whom Nenê had played at Monaco. The Brazilian began the season hesitantly, struggling to accept that he had lost his star status in the team with the arrival of Javier Pastore. On 29 October, however, he scored two goals (both penalties) in a 4–2 home win against Stade Malherbe Caen, putting his team three points clear at the top of the table.

Nenê makes his West Ham debut

Nenê scored his first hat-trick with PSG on 13 May 2012, netting all of the game's goals in the home fixture against Stade Rennais FC, in only 18 minutes of play. He finished the campaign as the league's second top scorer, helping his side to the second place and direct qualification to the UEFA Champions League.

Al-Gharafa

On 15 January 2013, after having appeared in 112 official contests with PSG (but only nine in the league in the first half of the season), Nenê moved to Al-Gharafa Sports Club in the Qatar Stars League. In March, he was suspended for nine games and fined €67,000 for fighting with Houssine Kharja, being eventually released in late January of the following year.

West Ham United

On 18 February 2015, free agent Nenê signed for West Ham United until the end of the campaign. He made his debut ten days later in a 1–3 home defeat by Crystal Palace by coming on as a 61st minute substitute for Alex Song, and was released at the end of the season.

In October 2012 Nenê was named an ambassador for the game FIFA 13, alongside Karim Benzema and Lionel Messi. In 2010, he signed a deal with Adidas.

Each year, Nenê organizes with fellow footballer Neymar a charity match in his hometown of Jundiaí, with the purpose of raising money for food for needy families.

Club

• Campeonato Brasileiro Série C: 2001
• Ligue 1: 2012–13
• Campeonato Carioca: 2016

Individual

• Ligue 1: Top scorer 2011–12 (joint), Best Foreign Player 2010
• Campeonato Carioca: Best Player / Team of the Year 2016

• "Olivier Giroud couronné" [Olivier Giroud crowned] (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 20 May 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2015.