Having played in his country for two of the three biggest teams in the nation, Benfica and Sporting, he also spent several years of his professional career in Spain, notably with Atlético Madrid. He won the 2004–05 national championship with the first club and the 2010 Europa League with the third, amongst other accolades; he amassed Primeira Liga totals of 225 games and 87 goals over nine seasons, adding 219 La Liga matches and 26 goals in service of Barcelona, Atlético and Espanyol.