Henrique Hilario Biography

Name :
Henrique Hilario
Henrique Meireles Alves
Sampaio Hilario

Nationality :
Portuguese

Date of Birth :
21/10/1975
Portugal

Height :
6' 2" (189cm)

Weight :
13st 12lbs (88.0kg)

Squad No :
40

Previous Clubs :
Nacional

Position :
Goalkeeper

Promoted to second choice behind Petr Cech following the departure of Carlo Cudicini in January 2009, Hilario has rarely let Chelsea down.

The Portuguese arrived as third choice keeper when youth team product Lenny Pidgeley moved on in the summer of 2006.

Hilario, 30-years-old at the time, agreed to join the Portuguese contingent at Stamford Bridge as a support player, having come to the end of a contract at Nacional, a top flight club in his homeland.

Previously, the former Under 21 international had two spells at Porto where he was a part of domestic league and cup wins. The second spell was under Jose Mourinho before leaving for Nacional to gain more first team games.

Neither could have guessed what awaited so early in the keeper's first Chelsea year. Injuries to Cech and Cudicini in the same game meant Hilario's Chelsea debut came against European champions Barcelona. He kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 win.

By the end of the campaign, Hilario had played 18 games and fulfilled all that was expected of a number three choice, thrust so unexpectedly into the spotlight.

A model professional, the keeper kept his focus when the familiar coaching staff moved on in September 2007 and when Cech and Cudicini were both out over Christmas 2007, he was back in the limelight, playing in five wins, including a Carling Cup semi-final.

There was one more call before the season was out, when Cudicini limped out at home to Fenerbahce in the Champions League. With the score tied on aggregate, Hilario executed a fantastic save and Chelsea went on to add a second. The keeper's important contribution to making Moscow that May should not be overlooked.

Cudicini's exit made Hilario a regular on the subs' bench under Luiz Felipe Scolari and then Guus Hiddink, though his only outing of the season brought another clean sheet against Hull in the Brazilian's last match in charge.

Ross Turnbull's signing in the summer of 2009 brought more competition between the goalkeeping staff, but it was Hilario more regularly chosen to deputise in Cech's absence in 2009/10, although the two shared duties on the bench.

Hilario was given the nod in the early rounds of the FA Cup, keeping clean sheets against Watford and Preston, and despite Cardiff finding the net, we strolled into the last eight before injury to Cech in the San Siro.

Already 2-1 down, Hilario came on and was untested against Inter. Manchester City would work him harder three days later though, and he was criticised for failing to deal with a tame Carlos Tevez effort, before Craig Bellamy squeezed one in across him from a tight angle.

Injury then struck Hilario before the second leg against Inter so Turnbull stepped in.