Ukra


André Filipe Alves Monteiro, known as Ukra, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for C.D. Santa Clara mainly as a winger.

Club career

Born in Vila Nova de Famalicão, Braga District, Ukra began playing football for F.C. Famalicão, moving at age 13 to FC Porto to complete his formation. In the 2007–08 campaign he got his first taste of first-team football, spending one season on loan to another northern club, Varzim S.C. in the second division.
In the following two years, Ukra continued on loan, now in the south of the country with S.C. Olhanense. He scored six goals in 30 matches in his debut season, helping the Algarve team return to the Primeira Liga after 34 years; in November 2009, it was reported that the player was being scouted by Newcastle United of the Football League Championship after an under-21 match against England at Wembley in which he played the full 90 minutes.
In January 2011, Ukra was loaned to S.C. Braga, contributing solidly as the Minho side finished fourth and qualified to the UEFA Europa League by netting twice, notably in a 3–1 home win against Vitória de Guimarães in a local derby. He did not participate in the club's Europa League runner-up campaign, being cup-tied after having appeared in the competition for Porto.
Ukra was again loaned to Braga for 2011–12, spending however the better part of the season on the sidelines due to injury. He spent the next four years with fellow league team Rio Ave FC, the first on loan; he scored his first goal for the latter on 2 February 2013 to help the hosts defeat Sporting CP 2–1, and also netted twice during the team's runner-up run in the 2013–14 edition of the Taça de Portugal.
On 18 July 2016, free agent Ukra signed with Al-Fateh SC from the Saudi Professional League. In February 2018, in the same capacity, he joined Bulgaria's PFC CSKA Sofia. He made his first official appearance for the latter on 31 March, in the 4–1 home win over PFC Botev Plovdiv in a league match, coming on as a substitute during the second half; in June, he was released.
Ukra returned to Portugal's top flight on 8 August 2018, signing with newly promoted C.D. Santa Clara. After making 23 appearances in his first season in the Azores, he was given a two-year contract extension.

International career

In mid-2009, courtesy of his solid Olhanense displays, Ukra was summoned for the Portugal under-21s. He represented the nation at the 2007 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, and also took part in the unsuccessful qualifying campaign for the 2007 European Under-21 Championship.
Ukra made his debut for the full side on 31 March 2015, coming on as a 46th-minute substitute for João Mário in a 0–2 friendly defeat against Cape Verde in Estoril.

Personal life

Ukra's nickname derives from his youth, when his thin-blond hair led to him being called "Ukrainian", which was then shortened to "Ukra".

Club statistics

Honours

Porto
Olhanense