Kay (footballer)

Carlos Daniel Silveira da Graça (born 5 January 1988), known as Kay, is a Cape Verdean professional footballer who plays as a centre back.

Kay
Kay playing for Cape Verde in 2013
Personal information
Full name Carlos Daniel Silveira da Graça
Date of birth (1988-01-05) 5 January 1988
Place of birth Nossa Senhora da Luz, Cape Verde
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre back
Youth career
1999 Batuque
2000 Coritia
2000–2005 Benfica
2005–2007 Académica
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2008 Tourizense 2 (0)
2008–2009 Tabuense
2009 Tourizense 2 (0)
2010 Aljustrelense 17 (0)
2010–2012 Operário 55 (8)
2012–2014 Belenenses 46 (5)
2014–2017 Universitatea Craiova 49 (2)
2017–2018 Omonia 0 (0)
2018–2019 Senica 20 (4)
2019–2020 Universitatea Cluj 13 (3)
2021 Académica 1 (0)
International career‡
2013–2016 Cape Verde 13 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 31 August 2020
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 8 October 2016

Club career

Portugal

Born in Nossa Senhora da Luz (São Vicente), Kay spent the first seven years of his senior career in Portugal, also playing youth football in the country with S.L. Benfica and Académica de Coimbra.[2] He competed in lower league or amateur football until the age of 24, representing G.D. Tourizense,[3] Grupo Desportivo Tabuense, S.C. Mineiro Aljustrelense and CD Operário.[4]

In early 2012, Kay agreed to a contract with Segunda Liga club C.F. Belenenses effective as of 1 July.[5] He contributed with 35 games and five goals in his first season, helping to a return to the Primeira Liga after a three-year absence.[6]

Kay made his debut in the Portuguese top division on 26 August 2013, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–2 away loss against S.C. Braga.[7][8]

Universitatea Craiova

In June 2014, Kay signed with CS Universitatea Craiova in the Romanian Liga I.[9] His maiden appearance in the competition took place on 25 July, in a 1–1 home draw against CS Pandurii Târgu Jiu.[10]

In the 2015–16 season, Kay scored once[11] in 21 matches to help his team finish in eighth position. His teammates included countrymen Rambé and Nuno Rocha,[12] and he was released from contract on 1 April 2017.[13]

Later years

On 26 June 2017, Kay joined AC Omonia on a two-year deal.[14] On 9 July 2019, he moved to Liga II club FC Universitatea Cluj from FK Senica of the Slovak Super Liga.[15]

International career

Kay earned his first cap for Cape Verde on 8 June 2013, in a 2–1 home win over Equatorial Guinea for the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers (later awarded 3–0).[16] Selected for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations finals by manager Rui Águas,[17] he was an unused squad member in an eventual group stage exit.

Kay scored his first goal for the Blue Sharks on 6 September 2015, helping to a 2–1 success in Libya for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying phase.[18]

International goals
As of 6 September 2015 (Cape Verde score listed first, score column indicates score after each Kay goal)[19]
NoDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.6 September 2015Petro Sport, New Cairo, Egypt Libya1–02–12017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

References
  1. "Kay: Profile". worldfootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  2. "Kay de saída para a Roménia" [Kay on his way to Romania]. Record (in Portuguese). 6 June 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  3. "Luís Aguiar bisa no particular com o Tourizense (6–3)" [Luís Aguiar scores brace in friendly with Tourizense (6–3)]. Record (in Portuguese). 7 July 2007. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  4. "Operário surpreende Penafiel" [Operário surprise Penafiel]. Record (in Portuguese). 19 September 2010. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  5. "Kay e Rambé estão certos para a próxima época" [Kay and Rambé confirmed for next season]. Record (in Portuguese). 8 April 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  6. "Belenenses sagra-se campeão" [Belenenses crowned champions]. Record (in Portuguese). 13 April 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  7. "Convocados para Braga" [Braga callup] (in Portuguese). C.F. Belenenses. 25 August 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  8. "Sp. Braga 2–1 Belenenses" (in Portuguese). SAPO. 26 August 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  9. "Seven new names at Universitatea Craiova" [Sapte nume noi la Universitatea Craiova] (in Romanian). Universitatea Craiova. 13 June 2014. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  10. "CS Universitatea Craiova – Pandurii 1–1. Curelea a fost demon și înger în Bănie" [CS Universitatea Craiova – Pandurii 1–1. Curelea was a demon and an angel in Bănie] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  11. "VIDEO Concordia – CSU Craiova 0–2. Kay și Ivan au adus victoria oltenilor. Popov a fost eliminat!" [VIDEO Concordia – CSU Craiova 0–2. Kay and Ivan brought win to Oltenia. Popov sent off!] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 20 November 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  12. "Rambe, mai mult Rambo decât fotbalist. Topul stranierilor din Liga I" [Rambe, more Rambo than a footballer. Top foreigners in Liga I] (in Romanian). Sportescu. 4 December 2016. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  13. "CS Universitatea Craiova a anunţat despărţirea de fundaşul Kay" [CS Universitatea Craiova announced parting of ways with defender Kay] (in Romanian). Romanian Soccer. 1 April 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  14. Ποδοσφαιριστής της ΟΜΟΝΟΙΑΣ ο Κάι [Kay an Omonia player] (in Greek). AC Omonia. 26 June 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  15. ""U" a transferat un fundaş cu poftă de gol. Kay: "Vreau să fac performanţă şi să sărbătorim împreună promovarea"" ["U" signed a defender with an appetite for goal. Kay: "I want to do well and celebrate a promotion"] (in Romanian). FC Universitatea Cluj. 9 July 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  16. "Babanco e Djaniny dão vitória a Cabo Verde" [Babanco and Djaniny give win to Cape Verde]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 8 June 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  17. "Tubarões Azuis: Rui Águas divulga a lista dos convocados para CAN 2015" [Blue Sharks: Rui Águas releases squad selected to 2015 ACN] (in Portuguese). RTC. 24 December 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  18. "Kay a marcat pentru Capul Verde. Varela si Nuno Rocha au fost si ei titulari in victoria din Libia" [Kay scored for Cape Verde. Varela and Nuno Rocha also started in win in Libya] (in Romanian). Orange. 7 September 2015. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  19. "Kay – Matches". Soccerway. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  • Kay at ForaDeJogo (archived)
  • Kay at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
  • Kay at National-Football-Teams.com
  • Kay at Soccerway
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