Ricardo Santos (footballer, born 1995)

In this Portuguese name, the first or maternal family name is Almeidaand the second or paternal family name is Santos.

Ricardo Santos

Santos in 2019
Personal information
Full name	Ricardo Alexandre Almeida Santos [1]
Date of birth	(1995-06-18) 18 June 1995 (age 29) [2]
Place of birth	Almada, Portugal
Height	1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) [3]
Position(s)	Centre-back
Team information
Current team	Bolton Wanderers
Number	5
Youth career
0000–2012	Dagenham & Redbridge
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2012–2013	Dagenham & Redbridge	0	(0)
2013	→ Billericay Town (loan)	4	(0)
2013	Dover Athletic	0	(0)
2013–2014	Thurrock	19	(1)
2014–2016	Peterborough United	63	(1)
2017–2020	Barnet	84	(6)
2020–	Bolton Wanderers	160	(4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 00:03, 2 November 2024 (UTC)

Ricardo Alexandre Almeida Santos (born 18 June 1995) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for EFL League One club Bolton Wanderers.

Career

Santos was a youth team player at Dagenham & Redbridge, making one appearance in the matchday squad, ^[4] before he was released and signed by Thurrock manager Mark Stimson, following a spell at Dover Athletic where he made no appearances. ^[4] He impressed for the Isthmian League club, making 24 appearances, ^[5] and was signed by Peterborough United manager Darren Ferguson on a three-and-a-half-year contract in February 2014. ^[6] Peterborough paid £8000 for him. ^[7] He made his League One debut on 3 May in a 0–0 draw with Port Vale at London Road. ^[8] Santos scored his first goal for the club when he scored a late winner against Doncaster Rovers on 19 March 2016. ^[9]

On 1 January 2017, Santos joined Barnet for a fee of £100,000. ^[10] He made his debut on the following day in a 1–0 win over Plymouth Argyle. He left the club at the end of the 2019–20 season having spent two and a half seasons with the Bees, making 94 appearances, scoring six goals. ^[11]

Bolton Wanderers

Santos signed for Bolton Wanderers on a two-year deal on 3 August 2020. ^[12] His debut came on 5 September in Bolton's first match of the season, a 2–1 home defeat against Bradford in the first round of the EFL Cup. ^[13] On 1 March 2021, Santos signed a new contract with Bolton until 2023. ^[14] He was named as EFL League Two Player of the Month for February 2021. ^[15] On 21 May 2021, following the team's direct promotion to the EFL League One, he was announced to have been voted as Bolton Wanderers' Player of the Year for the 2020–21 season. ^[16] Plus, he was named in the league's Team of the Year, together with his team-mate Eoin Doyle. ^[17]

On 22 October 2021, following the sudden departure of Antoni Sarcevic to Stockport County, Santos was appointed by manager Ian Evatt as Bolton's new captain. ^[18] He was named in the Team of the Year for the second consecutive year, this time in League One, for the 2021–22 season. ^[19] On 26 May 2022, Santos signed a new three-year deal with Bolton Wanderers which would keep him at the club until 2025. ^[20]

On 11 February 2023, Santos scored his first goals for Bolton with a brace in a 5–0 win at his former team Peterborough United, Bolton's 5000th league game. ^[21] On 2 April, he started in the 2023 EFL Trophy final which Bolton won 4–0 against Plymouth Argyle. ^[22] He was named in both the EFL ^[23] and PFA ^[24] Teams of the Season for the 2022–23 season, the third season in a row he had been named in Teams of the Year. On 21 September 2024, Santos was replaced as captain by George Thomason. ^[25]

Career statistics

As of match played 29 October 2024

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Dagenham & Redbridge	2012–13 [26]	League Two	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Billericay Town (loan)	2012–13 [27]	Conference South	4	0	—		—		—		4	0
Thurrock	2013–14 [28]	IL Division One North	19	1	2	0	—		2 [lower-alpha 1]	0	23	1
Peterborough United	2013–14 [29]	League One	1	0	—		—		0	0	1	0
	2014–15 [30]	League One	24	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	26	0
	2015–16 [31]	League One	37	1	4	0	1	0	1 [lower-alpha 2]	0	43	1
	2016–17 [32]	League One	1	0	1	0	1	0	2 [lower-alpha 2]	0	5	0
	Total		63	1	6	0	3	0	3	0	75	1
Barnet	2016–17 [32]	League Two	15	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	15	2
	2017–18	League Two	42	3	1	0	2	0	2 [lower-alpha 2]	0	47	3
	2018–19	National League	5	0	0	0	—		0	0	5	0
	2019–20	National League	22	1	2	0	—		3 [lower-alpha 3]	0	27	1
	Total		84	6	3	0	2	0	5	0	94	6
Bolton Wanderers	2020–21 [33]	League Two	46	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	48	0
	2021–22 [34]	League One	37	0	2	0	1	0	3 [lower-alpha 2]	0	43	0
	2022–23 [35]	League One	30	3	1	0	1	0	7 [lower-alpha 4]	0	39	3
	2023–24 [36]	League One	34	0	4	1	1	0	6 [lower-alpha 5]	1	45	2
	2024–25 [37]	League One	13	1	0	0	3	0	2 [lower-alpha 2]	0	18	1
	Total		160	4	8	1	7	0	18	1	193	6
Career total			330	12	19	1	12	0	28	1	389	14

1. Appearances in FA Trophy
2. Appearances in EFL Trophy
3. One appearance in FA Trophy, two appearances in National League playoffs
4. Five appearances in EFL Trophy, two appearances in League One play-offs
5. Three appearances in EFL Trophy, three appearance in League One play-offs

Honours

Bolton Wanderers

• EFL League Two third-place promotion: 2020–21 ^{[38] [33]}
• EFL Trophy: 2022–23 ^[22]

Individual

• EFL League Two Player of the Month: February 2021 ^[15]
• PFA Team of the Year: 2020–21 League Two, ^[39] 2021–22 League One, ^[19] 2022–23 League One ^[24]
• Bolton Wanderers Player of the Year: 2020–21 ^[16]
• EFL League One Team of the Season: 2022–23 ^[23]
• PFA Team of the Year: 2023–24 League One ^[40]

References

1. "Professional retain lists & free transfers 2012/13" (PDF). The Football League. May 2013. p. 55. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 August 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
2. "Ricardo Santos". 11v11. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
3. "Ricardo Santos". Bolton Wanderers F.C. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
4. Munford, Colin (5 February 2014). "Former Daggers defender joins Peterborough United". Barking and Dagenham Post. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
5. "Club not live". pitchero.com. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
6. "Peterborough sign Portuguese defender Ricardo Santos". BBC Sport. 5 February 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
7. The Bolton News: Why Peterborough United owner Darragh MacAnthony wants Bolton's Ricardo Santos to say 'sorry': "We got Rico from Thurrock and paid eight grand for him"
8. "Peterborough 0-0 Port Vale". BBC Sport. 3 May 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
9. "Doncaster 1–2 Peterborough". BBC Sport. 19 March 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
10. "Barnet complete Santos signing". barnetfc.com. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
11. "Club update". barnetfc.com. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
12. "Evatt Recruits Portuguese Defender". bwfc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
13. "Report: Bolton Wanderers 1–2 Bradford City". bwfc.co.uk. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
14. BWFC.co.uk: "Almeida Santos signs new deal"
15. "Manager and Defender win Sky Bet monthly awards". bwfc.co.uk. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
16. Bolton Wanderers: "Ricardo Almeida Santos Named As Bolton Wanderers' 2020/21 Player Of The Year"
17. "🏆 Wanderers duo named in PFA League Two Team of the Year". bwfc.co.uk. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
18. "Santos Gets Captain's Job". bwfc.co.uk. 22 October 2021.
19. The PFA: "PFA League One Team of the Year"
20. "Done Deal As Captain Commits". bwfc.co.uk. 26 May 2022.
21. The Bolton News: "Bolton Wanderers boss Ian Evatt's joy at Ricardo Santos first goals"
22. Pilnick, Brent (2 April 2023). "Bolton Wanderers 4–0 Plymouth Argyle". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 April 2023.
23. "EFL Team of the Season line-ups revealed". English Football League. 23 April 2023. Retrieved 24 April 2023.
24. "Erling Haaland: Manchester City forward wins PFA men's Player of the Year award". BBC Sport. 29 August 2023. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
25. The Bolton News: "Bolton Wanderers appoint George Thomason as new captain
26. "Games played by Ricardo Santos in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
27. "Games played by Ricardo Santos in 2012/2013 for Billericay Town". Soccerway. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
28. "Games played by Ricardo Santos in 2013/2014 for Thurrock". Thurrock F.C. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
29. "Games played by Ricardo Santos in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
30. "Games played by Ricardo Santos in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
31. "Games played by Ricardo Santos in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
32. "Games played by Ricardo Santos in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
33. "Games played by Ricardo Santos in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
34. "Games played by Ricardo Santos in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
35. "Games played by Ricardo Santos in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
36. "Games played by Ricardo Santos in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
37. "Games played by Ricardo Santos in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
38. Soccerbase: League Two 2020/21 Table
39. The PFA: "PFA League Two Team of the Year"
40. "PFA League One Team of the Year". PFA. 20 August 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2024.

External links

• Ricardo Santos at Soccerway