Clubs: Joinville EC, Cruzeiro EC, SL Benfica, Chelsea FC

• Made a handful of appearances for the club he began his career with as a youth, Joinville, before Cruzeiro came calling in 2007 and offered him his first taste of top-flight football.

• Scored twice in his first five appearances for the Belo Horizonte outfit − with whom he won two state championships − and a career-best six league goals in the 2008 season, in addition to the five he registered in that year's Copa Libertadores campaign.

• A bronze medalist at the 2008 Olympic Games, Ramires made his full international debut in June of the following year in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier before travelling to the FIFA Confederations Cup; struck his first goals for the Seleção in a pre-World Cup friendly against Tanzania (5-1) on 7 June 2010, eight days before he made the first of four outings at the final tournament.

• Agreed a €7.5m move to Benfica in May 2009 but remained with Cruzeiro until the July, when he made his final outings for the club – in the Copa Libertadores final defeat by Club Estudiantes LP; made an instant impact with the Eagles, scoring on his league debut and helping the Lisbon team to the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals, League Cup glory and a first Liga title in five years.

• Immediately became a regular in the heart of the Chelsea midfield following a reported €22m transfer in August 2010, netting his first goal for the Blues in a 4-0 victory at Bolton Wanderers FC on 24 January 2011.