Born in Vila Real, Alves moved from local club to FC Porto's youth ranks at 17, but had no success there, moving to Gil Vicente F.C. as a member of which he helped Portugal win the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship in Saudi Arabia – in the group stage opener against Czechoslovakia, he scored a last-minute header for the game's only goal. Later in his career he also managed 13 caps for the full side, scoring seven times, mostly during the UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying stage and friendlies within that period. After spells with F.C. Tirsense, C.S. Marítimo and S.C. Braga, Alves joined Primeira Liga giants Sporting CP, being relatively used during his three-year stay. He also played in England with West Ham Unitedon loan, but managed just four substitute appearances in his three-month stint; upon his return to Lisbon, he notably scored a hat-trick in a 5–3 win at S.C. Campomaiorense. Alves then spent two seasons with U.D. Leiria, netting six times in 27 matches in his last to help the club to its best ever top flight finish, a fifth position. His second stint at Gil Vicente saw him finish as team top scorer for the 2001–02 campaign, with 11 goals in 27 games; he retired in June 2005, at the age of 35.
International goals
Coaching career
Alves took up coaching immediately after retiring, precisely with the Barcelos club. In 2008 he joined another team he played for, Leiria, also in the second division. Due to poor results in the 2008–09 season, Alves was sacked by União de Leiria, but stayed in that tier by moving to F.C. Vizela. In the following summer he rejoined former Sporting teammate Oceano's coaching staff at the Portugal under-21 side, while also being charged with the under-20s; after a handful of games he resigned and returned to Gil Vicente, winning the 2011 second level championship with the subsequent promotion. After three years, which also brought a runner-up place in the Taça da Liga, Alves replaced former national teammate Abel Xavier at the helm of S.C. Olhanense early into the 2013–14 campaign, being sacked after less than three months in charge and with only one point won in six league matches. Alves returned to management in December 2014, taking the helm at S.C. Beira-Mar, 14th in the second division. The team suffered with serious financial problems over the season, and were sent to the Aveiro Football Association's second division as a punishment. On 3 December 2015, Alves was appointed at F.C. Penafiel until the end of the second level season, having been working in Iran for F.C. Nassaji Mazandaran. He remained in the job until being hired by C.F. União for 2017–18, being sacked on 2 October with the side placed 12th. He returned to Gil Vicente halfway through the campaign, and left on 23 February 2018 by mutual agreement having not won any of his seven fixtures. After a few months back in the Middle East with Ohod Club of Saudi Arabia, Alves returned to the Portuguese second tier in June 2019, at Varzim SC.
