Xavier

Date of birth30 November 1972
Place of birthNampula, Mozambique
NationalityPortuguese
Weight85 kg
Height1.88 m
PositionDefender

Full name is: Abel Luís da Silva Costa Xavier

Xavier began his career at Estrela Amadora in 1990.

He moved to Benfica in 1993 and after two seasons went to play in Italy for Serie A club Bari.

He could not settle and moved to Spain in the summer of 1996 to play for Real Oviedo.

He moved the game after one season to play in Holland for PSV Eindhoven and then back to Spain to play for Celta Vigo.

He could not break into the first team and, in an effort to make the 2000 European Championship Finals, he signed for Premiership team Everton in September 1999 for £1.5 million.

He had represented Portugal at all levels with his constant movement between different clubs not proving to be a problem.

He made the squad for the 2000 European championship finals and was a member of the very successful Portuguese team.

He was sent off in the semi final and received a seventeen-month ban from international football.

He was surprisingly sold to Liverpool in mid-season in 2001-02, scored on his Liverpool debut versus Ipswich Town and performed well earning an international recall just prior to the finals.

Xavier's contract at Liverpool was cancelled by mutual consent in February 2004, and he immediately joined Hannover 96 with a contract to June 2005.

Xavier joined Middlesbrough in August 2005 with a one-year contract that was cancelled in January 2006 due to disciplinary reasons.

Having served a ban, he re-joined Middlesbrough in November 2006 with a contract to the end of the season.

Club history

Team Joined Left Loan / Trialist
Estrela Amadora 01 Jul 1990 01 Jul 1993
Benfica 01 Jul 1993 01 Jul 1995
Bari 01 Jul 1995 01 Jul 1996
Real Oviedo 01 Jul 1996 01 Jul 1998
PSV Eindhoven 01 Jul 1998 08 Sep 1999
Everton 08 Sep 1999 31 Jan 2002
Liverpool 31 Jan 2002 02 Feb 2004
Galatasaray 29 Jan 2003 31 Jan 2004 L
Hannover 96 02 Feb 2004 31 Jan 2005
AS Roma 31 Jan 2005 30 Jun 2005
Middlesbrough 31 Aug 2005 23 Jan 2006
Middlesbrough 08 Nov 2006 30 Jun 2007
LA Galaxy 01 Jul 2007

Club stats

Season Team Competition Apps Subs Goals Y R
1999-00 Everton FA Cup 2
2
1999-00 Everton League Cup 1
1
1999-00 Everton Premier League 18
2
1
2000-01 Everton FA Cup 1
2000-01 Everton Premier League 10
1
2
1
2001-02 Everton FA Cup 1
2001-02 Everton League Cup 1
2001-02 Everton Premier League 11
1
1
2001-02 Liverpool Premier League 9
1
1
1
2001-02 Liverpool UEFA Champions League 5
1
2
2002-03 Liverpool FA Community Shield 1
2002-03 Liverpool League Cup 1
2002-03 Liverpool Premier League 4
2003-04 Hannover 96 Bundesliga 5
2004-05 AS Roma Serie A 2
1
2005-06 Middlesbrough Premier League 4
2005-06 Middlesbrough UEFA Cup 2
2006-07 Middlesbrough FA Cup 6
2
2006-07 Middlesbrough Premier League 14
1
1


Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.

Club matches

Date Match Result Competition Round
11 Sep 1999 Sheffield Wednesday v Everton W 0-2 Premier League
14 Sep 1999 Oxford United v Everton D 1-1 League Cup 2nd round 1st leg
19 Sep 1999 Everton v West Ham United W 1-0 Premier League
27 Sep 1999 Liverpool v Everton W 0-1 Premier League
02 Oct 1999 Everton v Coventry City D 1-1 Premier League
16 Oct 1999 Arsenal v Everton L 4-1 Premier League
20 Nov 1999 Everton v Chelsea D 1-1 Premier League
04 Dec 1999 Manchester United v Everton L 5-1 Premier League
11 Dec 1999 Exeter City v Everton D 0-0 FA Cup 3rd round
18 Dec 1999 Watford v Everton W 1-3 Premier League
06 Feb 2000 Wimbledon v Everton W 0-3 Premier League
20 Feb 2000 Everton v Aston Villa L 1-2 FA Cup Quarter-final
26 Feb 2000 West Ham United v Everton W 0-4 Premier League
04 Mar 2000 Everton v Sheffield Wednesday D 1-1 Premier League
11 Mar 2000 Chelsea v Everton D 1-1 Premier League
15 Mar 2000 Coventry City v Everton L 1-0 Premier League
19 Mar 2000 Everton v Newcastle United L 0-2 Premier League
25 Mar 2000 Sunderland v Everton L 2-1 Premier League
01 Apr 2000 Everton v Watford W 4-2 Premier League
08 Apr 2000 Leicester City v Everton D 1-1 Premier League
15 Apr 2000 Everton v Bradford City W 4-0 Premier League
21 Apr 2000 Everton v Liverpool D 0-0 Premier League
29 Apr 2000 Everton v Arsenal L 0-1 Premier League
09 Sep 2000 Middlesbrough v Everton W 1-2 Premier League
21 Oct 2000 Newcastle United v Everton W 0-1 Premier League
29 Oct 2000 Liverpool v Everton L 3-1 Premier League
05 Nov 2000 Everton v Aston Villa L 0-1 Premier League
11 Nov 2000 Bradford City v Everton W 0-1 Premier League
27 Jan 2001 Everton v Tranmere Rovers L 0-3 FA Cup 4th round
31 Jan 2001 Everton v Middlesbrough D 2-2 Premier League
24 Feb 2001 Ipswich Town v Everton L 2-0 Premier League
03 Mar 2001 Everton v Newcastle United D 1-1 Premier League
17 Mar 2001 Southampton v Everton L 1-0 Premier League
16 Apr 2001 Everton v Liverpool L 2-3 Premier League
21 Apr 2001 Arsenal v Everton L 4-1 Premier League
08 Sep 2001 Manchester United v Everton L 4-1 Premier League
12 Sep 2001 Everton v Crystal Palace L 1-1 (4-5) League Cup 2nd round
15 Sep 2001 Everton v Liverpool L 1-3 Premier League
22 Sep 2001 Blackburn Rovers v Everton L 1-0 Premier League
29 Sep 2001 Everton v West Ham United W 5-0 Premier League
13 Oct 2001 Ipswich Town v Everton D 0-0 Premier League
20 Oct 2001 Everton v Aston Villa W 3-2 Premier League
27 Oct 2001 Everton v Newcastle United L 1-3 Premier League
19 Dec 2001 Leeds United v Everton L 3-2 Premier League
22 Dec 2001 Sunderland v Everton L 1-0 Premier League
26 Dec 2001 Everton v Manchester United L 0-2 Premier League
29 Dec 2001 Everton v Charlton Athletic L 0-3 Premier League
01 Jan 2002 Middlesbrough v Everton L 1-0 Premier League
05 Jan 2002 Stoke City v Everton W 0-1 FA Cup 3rd round


Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.

International stats

Season Team Competition Apps Subs Goals Y R
1988-89 Portugal World Youth Cup 2
1
1990-91 Portugal World Youth Cup 4
1991-92 Portugal Toulon Under-21 1
1991-92 Portugal UEFA Under-21 1
1992-93 Portugal FIFA World Cup 3
1992-93 Portugal UEFA Under-21 3
1993-94 Portugal FIFA World Cup 1
1993-94 Portugal UEFA Under-21 4
1997-98 Portugal International Friendly 1
1998-99 Portugal International Friendly 2
1998-99 Portugal UEFA European Championship 3
1999-00 Portugal International Friendly 2
1999-00 Portugal UEFA European Championship 2
1
1
2000-01 Portugal FIFA World Cup 1
2000-01 Portugal International Friendly 1
2001-02 Portugal FIFA World Cup
1
2001-02 Portugal International Friendly 2


Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.

International matches

Date Match Result Competition Round
20 Feb 1989 Nigeria v Portugal W 0-1 World Youth Cup Group A
22 Feb 1989 Saudi Arabia v Portugal L 3-0 World Youth Cup Group A
28 Feb 1989 Portugal v Brazil W 1-0 World Youth Cup Semi-final
14 Jun 1991 Portugal v Republic of Ireland W 2-0 World Youth Cup Group A
17 Jun 1991 Portugal v Argentina W 3-0 World Youth Cup Group A
22 Jun 1991 Portugal v Mexico W 2-1 World Youth Cup Quarter-final
26 Jun 1991 Portugal v Australia W 1-0 World Youth Cup Semi-final
15 Oct 1991 Netherlands v Portugal D 1-1 UEFA U21 Group
29 May 1992 Portugal v USA W 2-0 Toulon Under-21 Group B
13 Oct 1992 Scotland v Portugal D 0-0 UEFA U21 Group 1
23 Jan 1993 Malta v Portugal W 0-2 UEFA U21 Group 1
23 Feb 1993 Portugal v Italy W 2-0 UEFA U21 Group 1
31 Mar 1993 Switzerland v Portugal D 1-1 FIFA World Cup Group 1
28 Apr 1993 Portugal v Scotland W 5-0 FIFA World Cup Group 1
19 Jun 1993 Portugal v Malta W 4-0 FIFA World Cup Group 1
05 Sep 1993 Estonia v Portugal W 0-2 FIFA World Cup Group 1
18 Nov 1993 Italy v Portugal L 2-1 UEFA U21 Group 1
09 Mar 1994 Poland v Portugal W 1-3 UEFA U21 Quarter-final
15 Apr 1994 Portugal v Spain W 2-0 UEFA U21 Semi-final
20 Apr 1994 Italy v Portugal L 1-0 UEFA U21 Final
22 Apr 1998 England v Portugal L 3-0 International Friendly
19 Aug 1998 Portugal v Mozambique W 2-1 International Friendly
10 Oct 1998 Portugal v Romania L 0-1 UEFA European Championship Group 7
14 Oct 1998 Slovakia v Portugal W 0-3 UEFA European Championship Group 7
18 Nov 1998 Portugal v Israel W 2-0 International Friendly
05 Jun 1999 Portugal v Slovakia W 1-0 UEFA European Championship Group 7
10 Oct 1999 Portugal v Hungary W 3-0 UEFA European Championship Group 7
29 Mar 2000 Portugal v Denmark W 2-1 International Friendly
26 Apr 2000 Italy v Portugal L 2-0 International Friendly
12 Jun 2000 Portugal v England W 3-2 UEFA European Championship Finals Group A
28 Jun 2000 France v Portugal L 2-1 UEFA European Championship Finals semi-final
28 Feb 2001 Portugal v Andorra W 3-0 FIFA World Cup Europe group 2
25 Apr 2001 France v Portugal L 4-0 International Friendly
17 Apr 2002 Portugal v Brazil D 1-1 International Friendly
25 May 2002 China PR v Portugal W 0-2 International Friendly
14 Jun 2002 Portugal v Korea Republic L 0-1 FIFA World Cup Finals Group D


Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.