PROFI : RAUL MEIRELES

CHELSEA TV HEADLINES: TRAINING AND TERRY - 05.04.2012

The day after the night before means recovery for the players who played a major part in the win over Benfica, as reported from Cobham by Chelsea TV in the latest news bulletin...

BARCELONA TICKET DETAILS ANNOUNCED - 04.04.2012

The ticket selling arrangements for our Champions League semi-final first leg against Barcelona at Stamford Bridge have been announced...

TEAM NEWS: CHELSEA V BENFICA - 04.04.2012

Ramires returning in place of Daniel Sturridge wide on the right is the only change from the side that started the win against Aston Villa at the weekend...

LAMPARD AND FERREIRA JOIN IN CHELSEA TV PREVIEW - 04.04.2012

There will be exclusives galore in Chelsea TV's Matchnight Live from 6.30pm as the club's own channel builds up to the Benfica game...

CHELSEA TV HEADLINES: ALL TO COME - 04.04.2012

Gigi Salmon brings you the latest news from a Stamford Bridge buzzing with excitement ahead of our Champions League second leg with Benfica.

PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: CHELSEA V BENFICA - 04.04.2012

After two seasons falling short of the semi-final stage, Chelsea are one good home performance away from reaching the last four of this year's Champions League...

WORDS WITH: JOHN MIKEL OBI - 04.04.2012

Back as a regular starter in the side, John Mikel Obi is in fine form. He is hoping it can help us into the Champions League last four...

WORDS WITH: JOHN MIKEL OBI - 04.04.2012

Back as a regular starter in the side, John Mikel Obi is in fine form. He is hoping it can help us into the Champions League last four...

DI MATTEO: EXPERIENCED BUT AWARE - 03.04.2012

The state of the tie is very different to this stage against Napoli in the previous round but Roberto Di Matteo is demanding his team approach the second leg in exactly the same way...

RAMIRES: BEATING BENFICA - 03.04.2012

Ramires insists nobody in the dressing room is taking anything for granted as we prepare for Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg against his former side Benfica.

CHELSEA TV HEADLINES: ON THE BRIDGE - 03.04.2012

There is a change of scene for training today with the pre-Champions League session to take place inside Stamford Bridge...

• Profile
• Stats

Name:	Raul Meireles
Nationality:	Portuguese
Date of Birth:	17/03/1983
Height:	5' 10" (179cm)
Weight:	10st 3lbs (65.0kg)
Previous
Clubs:	Liverpool, Porto, Boavista
Position:	Midfielder

Chelsea careerChelsea completed the signing of Raul José Trindade Meireles from Liverpool on a four-year contract on transfer deadline day in August 2011.
He made his debut in the holding midfield role away at Sunderland on September 10, and impressed with his range of passing, creating Daniel Sturridge's goal with a rangy through ball.
Raul has since been deployed as a more conventional midfielder, and will be looking to establish himself as a first-choice pick over the coming months.
The Portuguese international netted his first Chelsea goal in mid-October, the opener in the 5-0 Champions League victory over Genk, and has been a regular under both Andre Villas-Boas and Roberto di Matteo, set to play over 50 games in his debut campaign in west London. The midfielder featured in every game from the start of December to mid-February, also netting a crucial equaliser in the 2-1 home win over Manchester City in December and scoring twice in our run to the FA Cup's later stages.
Pre-ChelseaThe midfielder, 28, arrived at Stamford Bridge after just over a season at Anfield in which he made 44 appearances for Liverpool.
Born in Aves, Portugal, the highly-rated international began his career with his hometown club before a move to top-flight Boavista, where he spent one season before moving to Porto in 2004.
It was at the Estadio do Dragao that he flourished and helped Porto to a domestic treble in 2005/06. He scored against Chelsea in the Champions League knockout rounds a year later.
Two more league titles followed in 2008 and 2009 before new manager Andre Villas-Boas agreed to sell him to the Reds after six years as a Porto player.
After a low-key start in English football, Meireles came to life in January 2011, scoring five times in six games, including a winner at Stamford Bridge.
The 5ft 10in midfielder appeared twice from the bench for Kenny Dalglish's side this season before completing his move to Stamford Bridge on transfer deadline day.
International careerMeireles established himself in the national side, playing under Luiz Felipe Scolari in the lead-up to Euro 2008, where he scored his first international goal.
He played every game in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, and then scored in South Africa during the 7-0 beating of North Korea to catch Liverpool's eye.
A regular in qualifying for Euro 2012, he recently won his 50th cap.

Competition	Apps (as sub)	Goals	Yellow Cards	Red Cards
League	19  (5)	1	7	0
FA Cup	5  (0)	2	1	0
Euro Cups	7  (2)	2	4	0

Liverpool
Competition	Apps (as sub)	Goals	Yellow Cards	Red Cards
League	0  (2)	0	0	0
League Cup	1  (0)	0	0	0

Career History:
Club	Season	Comp.	Apps (as sub)	Goals
Liverpool	2010 - 11	League	32  (1)	5
		FA Cup	1  (0)	0
		Euro Cups	7  (0)	0
Porto	2009 - 10	League	24  (1)	2
		FA Cup	3  (0)	2
		League Cup	1  (0)	0
		Euro Cups	8  (0)	0
Porto	2008 - 09	League	28  (0)	4
		FA Cup	2  (0)	1
		Euro Cups	10  (0)	0
Porto	2007 - 08	League	27  (1)	4
		FA Cup	3  (0)	0
		Euro Cups	7  (1)	0
Porto	2006 - 07	League	19  (6)	3
		Euro Cups	6  (1)	1
Porto	2005 - 06	League	15  (3)	2
		Euro Cups	0  (1)	0
Porto	2004 - 05	League	3  (9)	0
		Euro Cups	1  (0)	0
Boavista	2003 - 04	League	26  (2)	0