Walsall got their man today with the signing of Portuguese winger/striker Carlos Fangueiro, after a week long trial, which included a run out for the reserves.

Manager Richard Money had said that he wanted a “dribbler” to compliment the rest of the squad and the tricky little left/right winger certainly has a reputation of filling that particular bill.

He will, as far as we know, become the first Walsall player to be the father of quads. It’s their arrival two years ago, which caused him to have a nightmare season at Uniao Leiria. A calf injury made his problems worse, and when his contract came up in the summer, his club were slow in offering him a new deal, which lead to him getting a move to Millwall under the then manager Colin Lee.

“We could not come to an agreement over a new contract so I told my agent I would like to come to England” said Fangueiro at the time.

Fangueiro’s quads were born in September 2002 and he confessed life was tough in the first seven months of their lives.

“I could not sleep and then I got a calf muscle strain”, he said.
“I went through a bad time in my playing career. So my wife and I had to get two helpers in to give us the chance to sleep, so it did not affect my ability to perform for my team”.

Fangueiro signed a one-year deal with Millwall, but his stay there proved unproductive, getting just thirteen outings with the London club, scoring once. He was released by them in the Summer and had been on trial at Plymouth, coming close to getting a deal with them, as well as having a trial with New York Metro Stars.

Back home in Portugal, he has played for five different teams, including FC Maia, Guimaraes, Uniao Leiria and Gil Vincente.

Carlos will go straight into the 16 for tomorrow’s clash at Lincoln.

Name: Carlos Manuel Fangueiro Soares
DOB: December 19th, 1976
Hometown: Matosinhos, Portugal

(1,74 m; 78 kg)

Season (League)

1995/96 Leixões (II B)
1996/97 Leixões (II B)
1997/98 Vitória Guimarães (I) 19 games, 1 goal
1998/99 FC Maia (II) 30 games, 3 goals
1999/00 Gil Vicente (I) 31 games, 7 goals
2000/01 Vitória Guimarães (I) 30 games, 4 goals
2001/02 Vitória Guimarães (I) 30 games, 10 goals
2002/03 Vitória Guimarães (I) 27 games, 7 goals
2003/04 Vitória Guimarães (I) 17 games, 2 goals
2004/05 União Leiria (I) 29 games, 1 goal
2005/06 Millwall (England) 11 games, 1 goal

He has, therefore, spent 7 seasons in the Portuguese top flight.