Rio de Janeiro (state)
Wanderley Paiva was born in Três Corações, in the state of Minas Gerais, and in his youth he played for local side Atlético. After refusing an offer from Rio de Janeiro (state)'s Olaria, he was contacted and signed by Atlético Mineiro in 1966.With the Belo Horizonte club, Paiva became a first-team regular, and was part of the squad which won the first Campeonato Brasileiro Série A in 1971. He played 27 matches and scored one goal in that season, and was selected for the team of the tournament, winning the Bola de Prata, awarded by Placar magazine. Wanderley scored Atlético Mineiro's first goal in an official international competition in 1972, and is the second player with most appearances for the club, with 559.