Alhandra (footballer)
Luís Miguel Assunção Joaquim (born 5 March 1979), known as Alhandra, is a Portuguese retired footballer who played mainly as a left back – he could also appear as a midfielder.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Luís Miguel Assunção Joaquim | ||
| Date of birth | 5 March 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Vila Franca de Xira, Portugal | ||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Left back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1987–1989 | Alhandra | ||
| 1989–1998 | Sporting CP | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–1999 | Sporting CP | 0 | (0) |
| 1998–1999 | → Lourinhanense (loan) | 27 | (4) |
| 1999–2000 | Alverca | 2 | (0) |
| 2000–2001 | Porto B | 15 | (3) |
| 2001–2002 | Académica | 43 | (7) |
| 2002–2008 | União Leiria | 133 | (5) |
| 2008–2009 | Enosis Neon | 23 | (1) |
| 2009–2010 | Gil Vicente | 3 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | Eléctrico | 10 | (0) |
| 2011 | Monsanto | 1 | (0) |
| 2012 | Riachense | 2 | (0) |
| Total | 259 | (20) | |
| International career | |||
| 1998–1999 | Portugal U20 | 16 | (2) |
| 2000–2002 | Portugal U21 | 15 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club career
Alhandra was born in Vila Franca de Xira, Lisbon District. An unsuccessful graduate of Sporting CP's youth academy he started professionally with its farm team, Sporting Clube Lourinhanense. After a brief spell with FC Porto's reserves he lived his most steady period with U.D. Leiria, helping the side to participations in the UEFA Intertoto Cup and being regularly used over the course of six Primeira Liga seasons (a maximum of 30 league games in 2005–06 and a minimum of 16 in 2007–08, with the latter campaign ending in relegation).
On 2 April 2008, Alhandra signed a two-year contract with Enosis Neon Paralimni FC, adding to the massive Portuguese contingent at the Cypriot club. He returned to Portugal after one sole season, joining second level team Gil Vicente F.C. and being released at the end of the campaign.
Subsequently, Alhandra resumed his career in the lower leagues of his country, retiring in 2012 at the age of 33.