Ricardo Santos

Ricardo Alexandre Almeida Santos is a Cape Verde international footballer who plays as a centre-back for Sheffield Wednesday.

Born in Almada, Portugal, Santos began his career in the youth system at Dagenham & Redbridge. After leaving the club, he gained experience in non-league football with Billericay Town, Dover Athletic and Thurrock.

His performances for Thurrock earned him a move to Peterborough United in February 2014 for a reported fee of £8,000.

Santos made his Football League debut on 3 May 2014, starting a goalless League One draw against Port Vale. He gradually established himself in the Peterborough side and made 63 league appearances for the club.

He scored his first Peterborough goal in March 2016, netting a late winner in a 2–1 victory over Doncaster Rovers.

Santos joined Barnet in January 2017 and made his debut the following day in a 1–0 victory over Plymouth Argyle.

He became a regular in the Barnet defence and remained with the club following its relegation from League Two. Santos made 94 appearances in all competitions before leaving at the end of the 2019/20 season.

He signed for Bolton Wanderers in August 2020 and quickly became a key figure at the heart of the defence.

Santos helped Bolton finish third in League Two and secure automatic promotion during his first season. His performances earned him the League Two Player of the Month award for February 2021, Bolton’s Player of the Year award and selection in the PFA League Two Team of the Year.

He was appointed Bolton captain in October 2021 and continued to impress following the club’s return to League One.

Santos was selected in the PFA League One Team of the Year for the 2021/22 season and signed a new three-year contract in May 2022.

During the following campaign, he scored his first Bolton goals with a brace in a 5–0 victory over former club Peterborough United.

He also started the 2023 EFL Trophy final at Wembley as Bolton defeated Plymouth Argyle 4–0.

Santos was named in both the EFL and PFA League One Teams of the Season for 2022/23. He earned another PFA League One Team of the Year selection following the 2023/24 campaign, completing four consecutive seasons of individual recognition across League Two and League One.

He left Bolton in the summer of 2025 after making 207 appearances and scoring six goals in all competitions.

Santos agreed to join Swansea City in June 2025, with the transfer officially taking effect the following month.

His time with Swansea was heavily disrupted by injury after he hyperextended his leg during a pre-season friendly against Cheltenham Town.

The defender made only one senior appearance during the 2025/26 season. A proposed move to Reading in January 2026 subsequently fell through after he did not pass a medical.

Sheffield Wednesday completed the signing of Santos from Swansea City on 19 June 2026 for an undisclosed fee.

He signed a one-year contract with the option of an additional season and arrived at Hillsborough with more than 350 senior club appearances.

The experienced defender added height, leadership and a strong aerial presence to the Wednesday squad ahead of the 2026/27 League One campaign.

Santos was born in Portugal and qualifies to represent Cape Verde through his family heritage.

He received his first Cape Verde call-up in May 2025 and made his official senior international debut against Egypt on 17 November 2025.

Standing at 1.98m, Santos is a commanding centre-back who is particularly strong in aerial duels and defensive situations inside the penalty area.

He is also comfortable carrying possession out of defence and offers an attacking threat from set pieces. His five years as Bolton captain demonstrated his leadership, organisation and ability to take responsibility within a defensive unit.