Rúben Vinagre

Rúben Gonçalo da Silva Nascimento Vinagre (born 9 April 1999) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a left wing-back for Ekstraklasa club Legia Warsaw, on loan from Primeira Liga club Sporting CP.

Rúben Vinagre
Personal information
Full nameRúben Gonçalo da Silva Nascimento Vinagre[1]
Date of birth (1999-04-09) 9 April 1999 (age 25)[2]
Place of birthCharneca de Caparica, Portugal
Height1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[2]
Position(s)Wing-back
Team information
Current team
Legia Warsaw
(on loan from Sporting CP)
Number19
Youth career
2008–2009Barreirense
2009–2010Sporting CP
2010–2012Belenenses
2012–2015Sporting CP
2015–2016Monaco
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2016–2018Monaco0(0)
2017–2018Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan)9(1)
2018–2022Wolverhampton Wanderers34(0)
2020Olympiacos (loan)2(0)
2021Famalicão (loan)20(0)
2021–2022Sporting CP (loan)12(0)
2022–Sporting CP0(0)
2022–2023Everton (loan)2(0)
2023–2024Hull City (loan)10(0)
2024Hellas Verona (loan)12(0)
2024–Legia Warsaw (loan)0(0)
International career
2015Portugal U167(0)
2015–2016Portugal U1716(0)
2016–2017Portugal U183(0)
2017–2018Portugal U1916(0)
2019Portugal U209(0)
2018–2020Portugal U214(0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Portugal
UEFA European U19 Championship
Winner2018
UEFA European U17 Championship
Winner2016
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:18, 6 June 2024 (UTC)

Club career

Early career

Born in Charneca de Caparica, Almada, Lisbon metropolitan area, Vinagre had two spells in the academy of Sporting CP[3] before joining Ligue 1 club Monaco on 12 June 2015.[4] After spending his first season with the youth side, he signed a professional contract.[5]

In August 2016, a deal was agreed for Vinagre to be loaned to LigaPro side Académica to gain experience,[6] but FIFA, whose approval was required due to the player being under 18, refused to sanction the deal.[7] After an unsuccessful appeal, he returned to his parent club without making any competitive appearances.[8]

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Vinagre agreed to a new deal with Monaco in June 2017, running until summer 2022.[9] Shortly after, he moved on loan to English side Wolverhampton Wanderers for the upcoming season.[10] He made his senior debut on 8 August in a 1–0 win against Yeovil Town in the first round of the EFL Cup.[11] He scored his first goal in professional football on 30 September, the third of his team's 4–0 away victory over Burton Albion in the Championship.[12]

After their promotion to the Premier League as champions, Vinagre signed a five-year-contract for an undisclosed fee on 30 June 2018.[13] The subsequent recruitment of Jonny meant that he was primarily used as a back-up,[14] but still made 17 appearances (21 in all competitions)[15] as they qualified for the UEFA Europa League through a seventh-place finish;[16] his first league match took place on 11 August 2018, when he came on as a late substitute in the 2–2 home draw with Everton.[17][18]

Vinagre made his European debut on 25 July 2019, in Wolves's 2–0 home win over Crusaders in the Europa League second qualifying round, closing the score in injury time.[19] With Jonny seriously injured,[20] he totalled 13 games in the team's run to the quarter-finals, where they were ousted by eventual winners Sevilla.[21]

On 5 October 2020, Vinagre moved to Olympiacos of the Super League Greece on a season-long loan, with an option to make the deal permanent.[22] However, after failing to impose himself at the Pedro Martins-led squad, mainly due to injury problems,[23][24] he joined Famalicão also on loan, rejoining former Wolverhampton teammates Leonardo Campana and Bruno Jordão.[25] He made his Primeira Liga debut for the latter on 8 January 2021, starting in a 1–4 home loss to Porto.[26]

Sporting CP

Vinagre was loaned to Sporting on 9 July 2021, with a buying option.[27] He made only 18 competitive appearances in his first season, and on 1 July 2022 the club signed him permanently.[28]

On 27 July 2022, Vinagre joined Everton on a season-long loan;[29] an option to buy was also included in the deal.[30] During his spell at Goodison Park, he totalled only four games.[31]

On 20 July 2023, Championship club Hull City announced the signing of Vinagre on loan for the season.[32] He made his debut on 5 August, in the 2–1 loss away to Norwich City.[33] He was recalled by Sporting on 26 January 2024[34] and, later that day, moved to Serie A club Hellas Verona until the end of the campaign, with a reported buying option of €4 million.[35][36]

Vinagre joined Legia Warsaw of the Polish Ekstraklasa in July 2024, on a season-long loan with an option to make the move permanent.[37]

International career

Vinagre contributed five appearances as Portugal won the 2016 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Azerbaijan, following a penalty shoot-out defeat of Spain.[38] He helped the under-19s to the same achievement two years later, playing the entire 4–3 extra-time victory against Italy in Seinäjoki.[39]

On 11 October 2018, Vinagre won his first cap at under-21 level, in a 9–0 rout in Liechtenstein in the 2019 European Championship qualifiers.[40]

Career statistics

As of 26 May 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupEuropeTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Wolverhampton Wanderers2017–18[41]EFL Championship911030131
2018–19[42]Premier League1702020210
2019–20[43]Premier League150202013[a]2322
2020–21[44]Premier League20001030
Total4315080132693
Olympiacos (loan)2020–21[45]Super League Greece20002040
Famalicão (loan)2020–21[45]Primeira Liga20000200
Sporting CP (loan)2021–22[45]Primeira Liga12020202[b]0180
Sporting CP2022–23[45]Primeira Liga
2023–24[45]Primeira Liga
Total0000000000
Everton (loan)2022–23[46]Premier League20002040
Hull City (loan)2023–24[47]EFL Championship1000010110
Hellas Verona (loan)2023–24[45]Serie A120120
Legia Warsaw (loan)2024–25[45]Ekstraklasa00000000
Career total1011701301721383

Honours

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Olympiacos

Sporting CP

Portugal U17

Portugal U19

Individual

  • UEFA European Under-17 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2016[52]
  • UEFA European Under-19 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2018[53]

References