Kerlon
Kerlon Moura Souza (born 27 January 1988) is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. After retiring, he worked as a coach at Olé Soccer in the United States.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kerlon Moura Souza | ||
| Date of birth | 27 January 1988 | ||
| Place of birth | Ipatinga, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2001–2005 | Cruzeiro | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2005–2008 | Cruzeiro | 16 | (0) |
| 2008–2012 | Inter Milan | 0 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | → Chievo (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2009–2010 | → Ajax (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2011 | → Paraná (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | → Nacional-NS (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2012–2014 | Fujieda MYFC | 22 | (9) |
| 2015 | Miami Dade FC | 5 | (3) |
| 2015 | Sliema Wanderers | 8 | (2) |
| 2016 | Villa Nova | 3 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Spartak Trnava | 4 | (0) |
| 2017 | Spartak Trnava II | 1 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2004–2005 | Brazil U17 | 7 | (8) |
| 2006 | Brazil U20 | 1 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Kerlon first gained prominence after his performances at the U-17 World Cup in 2005, where he scored eight goals in seven games and helped Brazil win the title.
While playing with Cruzeiro, he gained more notoriety due to his seal dribble technique, and after a good 2007 season with Cruzeiro, he was billed as "the next Ronaldinho" and caught the attention of top European clubs like Inter Milan, who signed him in 2008.
However, a pair of knee injuries ultimately derailed his career, only make sporadic appearances until his retirement in 2017, and never fulfilled his true potential.