Paulinho (footballer)

Paulinho during training at Corinthians (2011)

José Paulo Bezerra Maciel Júnior ( born June 25, 1988 in São Paulo ), usually referred to only briefly Paulinho (Portuguese for small Paulo ) is a Brazilian football player and plays since 2013 as a midfielder for Tottenham Hotspur and the Brazilian national football team.

Career

Clubs

Paulinho began playing football in his hometown at Portuguesa of São Paulo and then played for Pão de Açúcar EC. This awarded him in early 2006 to Juventus São Paulo.

In the summer of 2006, he was awarded at the age of 18 years for one year to the Lithuanian first division club FC Vilnius. There he came on 29 June 2006 to its first use in professional football when he was in the starting in the home game against Derby and Vėtra Vilnius ( 0-0). Overall, he came in a year to 38 inserts and scored five goals.

After a year, he was loaned from Pão de Açúcar EC for the season 2007/ 08 at the Polish first division ŁKS Łódź. There he came to 17 inserts, but not score.

After his return to Brazil in the summer of 2008, he was initially active for Pão de Açúcar EC before he was loaned in June 2009 for one year to the Brazilian second division CA Bragantino. There came, he scored six goals in 28 games.

In the summer of 2010, he was then loaned from the first division club Corinthians. While he was still mostly as a substitute was used in the 2010 season, he was from the 2011 season regulars. In 2011, he was with Corinthians champion, he won the Copa Libertadores 2012 and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2012.

After good performances in the FIFA Confederations Cup 2013 Paulinho joined the 2013/14 season in the English Premier League for Tottenham Hotspur. There he proved most convincing until it is negative in the game against Liverpool in the 0-5 defeat noticed when he got a red card.

National

Early September 2011, Paulinho was nominated for the first time by coach Mano Menezes for the Brazilian national football team. On 15 September 2011 he arrived in the first leg of the Copa Roca against Argentina (0-0 ) to its debut in the national team's colors, as he stood in the starting XI.