Rui Jorge Monteiro Mendes (born 10 November 1999) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a right winger for Eredivisie club Groningen.[1]

Rui Mendes
Personal information
Full name Rui Jorge Monteiro Mendes
Date of birth (1999-11-10) 10 November 1999 (age 25)
Place of birth Gondar, Amarante, Portugal
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position(s) Right winger
Team information
Current team
Groningen
Number 27
Youth career
2016–2018 Arminia Bielefeld
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2021 1899 Hoffenheim II 57 (10)
2021–2024 Emmen 69 (18)
2024– Groningen 15 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12:48, 29 May 2024 (UTC)

Early life

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From Gondor, in Amarante, Portugal, Mendes moved at the age of seven to Dissen, Lower Saxony with his family. He was in the youth academy of Arminia Bielefeld but was not offered a professional contract. Instead he joined up with 1899 Hoffenheim aged 18 on a two-year contract. He trained with the first team under Julian Nagelsmann and played for their second team before ultimately leaving on a free transfer in 2021.[2]

Career

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During a trial game for FC Emmen Mendes scored twice against Heracles Almelo to earn a contract.[3]

In the 2021–22 season, Mendes was instrumental in FC Emmen’s championship winning season in the Eerste Divisie. Mendes scored in eight consecutive games, just one short of the all time FC Emmen record from the 2001–02 season, when Paul Weerman scored in nine consecutive matches.[4]

In January 2024, Mendes joined Eerste Divisie club Groningen on a three-and-a-half-year deal.[5]

Honours

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Emmen

References

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  1. ^ a b Rui Mendes at WorldFootball.net
  2. ^ "Rui Mendes". Soccerway. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  3. ^ "From Nagelsmann to the Netherlands: Rui Mendes - the Luso-German who came from nowhere to inspire Emmen to Eredivisie promotion". Portugal.net.
  4. ^ "Rui Mendes: treinou com Nagelsmann e agora é homem-golo nos Países Baixos". maisfutebol.iol.pt.
  5. ^ "FC GRONINGEN CONTRACTEERT AANVALLER RUI MENDES" [FC GRONINGEN SIGNS ATTACKER RUI MENDES.]. www.fcgroningen.nl (in Dutch). 24 January 2024. Retrieved 24 January 2024.