Jorge Paulo Cadete Santos Reis (born 27 August 1968), known as Cadete, is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Born to Portuguese parents in Mozambique, he was groomed in Sporting CP's prolific youth system, and later was noted while at Celtic as he led the goalscoring charts in 1996–97.
Cadete amassed Primeira Liga totals of 233 matches and 73 goals over 12 seasons. A Portugal international throughout the 90s, he represented the nation at Euro 1996.
Cadete broke into the senior team in 1987–88, starting in four of his six appearances and subsequently being sent on loan to fellow top-division club Vitória de Setúbal for the following season, helping his side to fifth place. He thus returned to Lisbon, where he remained the next five years, and in the 1992–93 campaign he was the national championship's top scorer with 18 goals.
Towards the end of his time at Sporting, Cadete was loaned out again in November 1994, this time to Italy's Brescia Calcio. He only managed one Serie A goal during his stint, returning subsequently to the Estádio José Alvalade and featuring in the first leg of the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira against FC Porto in August 1995.
By early 1996, especially after the sacking of manager Bobby Robson and the arrival of Carlos Queiroz, Cadete was completely out of favour at Sporting and made no more appearances for them. He amassed competitive totals for the club of 203 games and 81 goals.
Cadete's only full season in Scotland was arguably the greatest of his career, with the player finishing the year as the country's top scorer with 38 goals in 49 appearances in all competitions, without the aid of penalty kicks. Despite this, his team lost the league championship to arch-rivals Rangers, and he played his last match against Dundee United, bowing to the fans before kissing the turf.
Along with Pierre van Hooijdonk and Paolo Di Canio, Cadete became embroiled in contractual disputes with the club, and was labelled as one of the "Three Amigos" by McCann. He remained a Celtic player over the summer, but fled back to Portugal citing mental health issues and a failure to adjust to life in Scotland without his family; his requests for a transfer were eventually granted.
For 2000–01, Cadete was loaned to the Lisbon-based Estrela da Amadora. As newly promoted Scots St Mirren looked for a striker to bolster their chances of top-flight survival, he almost made a return to the country, but the proposed January switch fell through and he remained in Estrela, subsequently seeing out his Benfica contract after claiming unpaid wages.
At the start of 2003–04 season, aged 35, Cadete decided to return to football. He returned to Scotland to make a guest appearance on Tam Cowan's Scottish football show Offside, where he spoke of his love for Celtic and how he regretted leaving; he also invited manager Martin O'Neill to give him a trial at his former club.
Cadete's return to the public eye in Scotland prompted rookie co-managers Gerry Britton and Derek Whyte to take a gamble on the striker. He signed a short-term contract for top-tier relegation battlers Partick Thistle in late January 2004, ending his 18-month exile from the game; the move was controversial however, as he had already agreed to join Raith Rovers, even being photographed in the team shirt by the media.
Cadete made his debut for the Jags on 22 February against Celtic, and received a mixed reception, with jeers from some opposing fans as he came off the bench due to the manner of his departure six years earlier. Shortly after, he returned to old ways when he reported back for training 24 hours late, and was subsequently disciplined by the club; he did not manage to score for Thistle in four months, and was not offered an extension.
The following two years, Cadete played amateur football in the Beja region, with FC São Marcos in São Marcos da Ataboeira, Castro Verde, being rejoined by some former professionals in the country, including Benfica and Farense's Hassan Nader. After retiring, he faced severe economic problems.
On 23 July 2015, Cadete was appointed director of football of União de Almeirim in Santarém.
Cadete was chosen for the UEFA Euro 1996 finals by António Oliveira, after playing the decisive last match in the qualifying rounds against Republic of Ireland and netting the last in a 3–0 win as a substitute. His final appearance was a 3–0 defeat to England on 22 April 1998, in another exhibition game.
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Individual
Celtic
To Spain and beyond
Retirement, return to football and Scotland
Later years
International career
Career statistics
Club
Sporting CP 1987–88 Vitória Setúbal (loan) 1988–89 Primeira Divisão 8 Brescia Calcio (loan) 1994–95 Serie A 1 Celtic 1995–96 Scottish Premier Division 5 1996–97 33 Celta 1997–98 La Liga 7 1998–99 1 Benfica 1998–99 Primeira Divisão 3 1999–2000 Primeira Liga 0 2002–03 0 Bradford City (loan) 1999–2000 Premier League 0 Estrela Amadora (loan) 2000–01 Primeira Liga 0 2001–02 Segunda Liga 2 Partick Thistle 2003–04 Scottish Premier League 0 Pinhalnovense 2004–05 Segunda Divisão B 2 São Marcos 2005–06 2006–07
International goals
Honours
External links
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