Biography
Who is José Fonte?
Early life and Portuguese clubs
José Fonte was born in Penafiel. He studied football at Sporting CP. He played for Sporting CP B in the third division. In 2004, he joined Salgueiros. The club had money problems and closed soon after. He then moved to Felgueiras in the Segunda Liga.
In 2005, he debuted in the Primeira Liga for Vitória de Setúbal. Benfica signed him in January 2006. He was loaned to Paços de Ferreira for the rest of that season. He played 26 games and scored once. He spent the next year on loan with Estrela da Amadora.
Career in England
José moved to England in July 2007. He first joined Crystal Palace on loan. The deal became permanent later that year. He played regularly in the Championship. In January 2010, he signed with Southampton for about 1.2 million pounds.
He made 288 total appearances for the Saints. He helped them earn two promotions. He was named the Southampton Player of Year. He also made the League One Team of the Year for 2010-11. José became the team captain in August 2014. He left for West Ham United in January 2017 for 8 million pounds.
Time in China and France
In February 2018, José joined the Chinese club Dalian Yifang. He stayed there until July of that year. He then moved to France to join Lille in July 2018. He won the Ligue 1 title with the team in the 2020-21 season. He also won the Trophée des Champions in August 2021.
He captained the side during their national championship run. He played 36 games and scored three goals during that winning season.
International success
The Portuguese national team called José in October 2014. He debuted against Argentina on November 18. He was part of the squad that won Euro 2016. He played in the final where Portugal beat France. He also played in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
He helped Portugal win the 2019 UEFA Nations League. He earned his 50th cap on March 24, 2022. He scored one international goal against Qatar in October 2021.
Later years and coaching
In July 2023, José signed with Braga. He later joined Casa Pia in the Portuguese top flight. He announced his retirement on May 28, 2026. After retiring, he started a coaching career. On July 9, 2026, he joined the staff at Sunderland. He works under manager Régis Le Bris.
His brother Rui was also a footballer. They played together at Lille and Crystal Palace. Their father Artur played 12 seasons in Portugal.
Birthday and age
José Fonte was born on December 22, 1983, which makes José 42 years old today. That birthday falls under the Capricorn sign. José shares the date with 26 other famous people.
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