Place of birth Porto, Portugal Role Footballer Playing position Height 1.8 m Name Fernando Santos | 1984–1985 Vitoria Porto Current team Gil Vicente F.C. 1985–1986 Lapa | |
Full name Fernando Manuel de Jesus Santos Date of birth (1973-03-17) 17 March 1973 (age 42) | ||
Fernando Manuel de Jesus Santos (born 17 March 1973), known as Nandinho, is a Portuguese retired footballer who played as a right winger, and a current manager.
He amassed Primeira Liga totals of 257 games and 41 goals over the course of 11 seasons, representing mainly in the competition Gil Vicente (four years).
Club career
Born in Porto, Nandinho played amateur football until the age of 22, signing with Primeira Liga club S.C. Salgueiros in 1995 from Sport Clube Castêlo da Maia. He scored a career-best 13 goals in 30 games in his third season, helping his team to the eighth position.
Subsequently Nandinho signed for S.L. Benfica – against which he had previously scored – as Graeme Souness was the manager. As several British players were brought in, he was eventually deemed surplus to requirements, finishing his debut campaign with farm team F.C. Alverca, where he netted a hat-trick in a 3–2 home win against Sporting Clube de Portugal on 17 April 1999.
Nandinho joined Vitória S.C. in the 1999 summer, being rarely played by Paulo Autuori but featuring more under new coach Álvaro Magalhães. He retired in June 2007 at 34, after spells with Gil Vicente F.C. in the top flight and Leixões S.C. in the second level.
On 28 May 2015, after several years at the helm of the youth sides, Nandinho was chosen as José Mota's successor at the helm of Gil's first team, recently relegated from the main division.