1. Overview
Nilton Soares Rodrigues, commonly known as Niltinho, is a Brazilian professional footballer who primarily plays as a left winger or striker. He currently plays for Hong Kong Premier League club Kowloon City.
2. Personal Information
Niltinho's full name is Nilton Soares Rodrigues. He is widely known by his nickname, Niltinho. He was born on September 11, 1993, in São Paulo, Brazil. A Brazilian national, Niltinho stands at 69 in (175 cm) tall and weighs 154 lb (70 kg). His primary playing position is a left winger, but he is also capable of playing as a forward or striker. He is known for his left-footed play. During his time in the K League, he was registered under the name Nilton (닐톤Korean).
3. Career
Niltinho's football career began in Brazil, progressing through various youth academies before embarking on a professional journey that has taken him through multiple clubs in Brazil, South Korea, Portugal, Greece, Malta, North Macedonia, and Hong Kong.
3.1. Youth Career
Niltinho received his foundational football training at several prominent youth clubs in Brazil. He developed his skills at Portuguesa, Audax, Nacional-SP, and São Caetano.
3.2. Professional Career
Niltinho began his senior professional career with São Caetano in 2013, where he remained until 2018, though he spent much of this period on loan to other clubs.
His first loan spell was in 2014 with União Barbarense. In 2015, he had two loan periods, first with Volta Redonda and then with Joinville. Later in 2015, Niltinho moved to South Korea on loan, joining K League Classic club Daejeon Citizen. He made his debut for Daejeon Citizen in a 2-1 victory against Gwangju.
In 2016, he returned to Volta Redonda for another loan spell, followed by a loan move to Criciúma. The year 2017 saw him on loan at Chapecoense and then Atlético Goianiense. In 2018, he was loaned to CSA.
Following his extensive loan spells in Brazil, Niltinho moved to Europe, signing with Portuguese club Chaves, where he played from 2018 to 2020. He then returned to Brazil, joining Ponte Preta from 2021 to 2022, and subsequently Náutico in 2022.
His European journey continued with a move to Greek club Panahaiki from 2022 to 2023, followed by a spell at Maltese club Valletta in 2023. Later in 2023, he played for Shkupi in North Macedonia. In 2024, he had a brief return to CSA in Brazil.
On August 23, 2024, Niltinho made a significant move to the Hong Kong Premier League, joining Kowloon City. He wears the squad number 30 for Kowloon City.
3.3. Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | State League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| São Caetano | 2013 | Série B | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 6 | 2 | 6 | 2 | ||
| 2014 | Série C | 7 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | 7 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 7 | 0 | - | - | - | 6 | 2 | 13 | 2 | |||||
| União Barbarense (loan) | 2014 | Paulista A2 | - | 15 | 1 | - | - | - | 15 | 1 | ||||
| Volta Redonda (loan) | 2015 | Série D | 0 | 0 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 13 | 4 | ||
| Joinville (loan) | 2015 | Série A | 5 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 13 | 4 | ||||
| Daejeon Citizen (loan) | 2015 | K League Classic | 12 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 13 | 4 | ||||
| Volta Redonda (loan) | 2016 | Série D | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 15 | 1 | ||
| Criciúma (loan) | 2016 | Série B | 31 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 31 | 3 | ||||
| Chapecoense (loan) | 2017 | Série A | 2 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 3 |
| Atlético Goianiense (loan) | 2017 | Série A | 10 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 10 | 1 | ||||
| CSA (loan) | 2018 | Série B | 7 | 2 | - | - | - | - | 7 | 2 | ||||
| Chaves | 2018-19 | Primeira Liga | 23 | 3 | - | 4 | 0 | - | - | 27 | 3 | |||
| Chaves | 2019-20 | LigaPro | 32 | 4 | - | 3 | 0 | - | - | 35 | 4 | |||
| Ponte Preta | 2021 | Série B | 36 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 36 | 0 | ||||
| Náutico | 2022 | Série B | 10 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 10 | 1 | ||||
| Panahaiki | 2022-23 | Super League Greece 2 | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Valletta | 2022-23 | Maltese Premier League | 6 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 6 | 0 | ||||
| Shkupi | 2023-24 | Macedonian First Football League | 11 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 11 | 1 | ||||
| CSA | 2024 | Série C | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Kowloon City | 2024-25 | Hong Kong Premier League | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Career total | 194 | 15 | 55 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 266 | 26 | ||
4. Honours
Niltinho has achieved both team and individual accolades throughout his professional career.
4.1. Club Honours
- Campeonato Catarinense: 2017 (with Chapecoense)
4.2. Individual Honours
- Primeira Liga Goal of the Month: October/November 2018
5. Playing Style
Niltinho primarily operates as a left winger, utilizing his left-footed ability to contribute to attacks. He is also versatile enough to play as a forward or striker, demonstrating adaptability in offensive roles.