Portugal's goalkeeper for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Eduardo proved to be an obdurate last line of defence, conceding just three goals in 12 matches, qualifiers and final tournament games combined. However, he has since lost his national-team place to Rui Patrício and did not play much at club level either while on loan to SL Benfica from Genoa CFC during the 2011/12 season.

• Eduardo dos Reis Carvalho started out with SC Braga, playing several seasons with the B team before a loan spell at SC Beira-Mar, in 2006/07, earned him a belated Portuguese Liga debut.

• Joined Vitória FC on loan for the whole of the 2007/08 campaign and started all 30 Liga matches. Also helped the Setubal club win the inaugural Portuguese League Cup, saving three penalties against Sporting Clube de Portugal in the shoot-out after a 0-0 draw in the final.

• Returned to Braga and kept goal in every league game for the next two terms, impressing greatly in 2009/10 as he helped the Arsenalistas to second place behind Benfica, conceding just 20 goals.

• Made his debut for Portugal, aged 26, in February 2009 against Finland, winning the friendly 1-0 in Faro, and established himself as first choice through remainder of World Cup qualifying and into the finals, where he excelled, conceding just once in four games – to Spain in the round of 16 – after going 830 World Cup minutes unbeaten.

• Left Braga − and the promise of UEFA Champions League football − to join Genoa on a four-year contract in July 2010; missed just one Serie A fixture in his first campaign but was displaced as No1 by Sébastien Frey before the start of 2011/12 and opted to return to Portugal, on loan, with Benfica.