1. Early life and background
Pedro Correia was born on 27 March 1987, in Lagos, a municipality in the Algarve region of southern Portugal. His early life was marked by a significant commitment to football, leading him to join one of Portugal's most prestigious youth academies at a young age.
1.1. Youth career
Correia joined the youth academy of S.L. Benfica at the age of eight. During his formative years within the academy, he faced significant challenges due to injuries. He suffered from pubalgia and also sustained a sprained ankle, with the latter injury sidelining him for a period of six months. Despite these setbacks, he persevered, eventually becoming the only player of his age group at Benfica to secure a professional contract in 2006.
2. Professional career
Pedro Correia's professional football journey saw him play for several clubs across Portugal and Italy, navigating through loan spells, transfers, and significant injuries that impacted his playing time.
2.1. Benfica
After progressing through Benfica's youth system, Correia signed his first professional contract in 2006. He was integrated into the senior squad for the 2006-07 S.L. Benfica season under coach Fernando Santos. His opportunities with the first team were initially limited, but he began to be selected for the squad following the departure of fellow right-back Alcides. Despite being part of the senior team, Correia made only one bench appearance during this period, which occurred on 20 May 2007, in a match against Académica de Coimbra.
2.2. Loan and early career
In the summer of 2007, Correia was loaned to Segunda Liga club S.C. Olhanense to gain more first-team experience. He made his professional debut with Olhanense on 5 August 2007, playing the full 90 minutes in a 0-1 home loss against Gondomar S.C. in the first edition of the Taça da Liga. Following a period of regular play during his loan spell in his native region, Correia was recalled by Benfica in May 2008 for the club's season-ending tour in Africa. Upon the conclusion of the tour, he expressed his desire to be included in the pre-season squad for the 2008-09 campaign. However, this did not materialize, and after his contract with Benfica expired, he signed with Racing de Ferrol in the Spanish Segunda División B.
2.3. Fátima and Crotone
A year after his move to Spain, Correia returned to Portugal in 2009, joining C.D. Fátima. At Fátima, he reunited with his former Benfica juniors coach, Rui Vitória, who had previously lauded Correia as the best national right-back of his generation. Correia was a consistent starter in all his league appearances for Fátima, contributing to the team's eighth-place finish in the 2009-10 Liga de Honra. His performance led to a transfer to Italian club F.C. Crotone, which competed in Serie B, Italy's second-highest professional football league.
2.4. Vitória S.C.
In July 2013, Correia made another return to his homeland, joining Vitória de Guimarães in the Portuguese second division. This move marked another reunion with coach Rui Vitória, and Correia was brought in as a potential replacement for the recently retired player, Alex. While at Vitória, Correia established himself as a first-choice player. However, in March 2014, he suffered a severe tibia fracture. The initial prognosis estimated his recovery time to be between six and nine months. Despite this, his return to competitive play was significantly delayed, and he was only fit to compete again in May 2015, more than a year after the injury.
3. International career
Pedro Correia represented Portugal at various youth national team levels, contributing to their performances in international tournaments. He played three games for the Portugal U17 squad, helping them secure a third-place finish in the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. He also represented his nation at the 2006 UEFA European Under-19 Championship and the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, making a total of two appearances across these two tournaments.
4. Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Olhanense | 2007-08 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 25 | 1 | |
| Racing Ferrol | 2008-09 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 28 | 0 | ||
| Fátima | 2009-10 | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 31 | 0 | |
| Crotone | 2010-11 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 14 | 0 | ||
| 2011-12 | 35 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 36 | 0 | |||
| 2012-13 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 11 | 0 | |||
| Total | 58 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 61 | 0 | |||
| Vitória Guimarães | 2013-14 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| 2015-16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 22 | 0 | |
| Vitória Guimarães B | 2013-14 | 3 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | |||||
| 2015-16 | 6 | 0 | - | 6 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 9 | 0 | - | 9 | 0 | ||||||
| Career total | 156 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 176 | 1 | |
5. Honours
Vitória Guimarães
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira runner-up: 2013
Portugal U17
- UEFA European Under-17 Championship third place: 2004