PLAYER PROFILE

Henrique Hilario

Position: Goal

Height: 6'3

Weight: 13st 5lbs

Date of Birth: 1975-10-21 Sao Pedro da Cova, Portugal

Henrique Hilario

Chelsea signed Portuguese goalkeeper Henrique Hilario in the summer of 2006 initially to act as an understudy to Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini.

The 31-year old keeper was expected to make few first-team appearances at Stamford Bridge but was handed his chance in October 2006 after injuries to both Cech and Cudicini.

He impressed on his debut against Barcelona in the Champions League, keeping a cleansheet for the Blues as they beat the European champions 1-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Despite Cudicini's return to fitness, Hilario retained his place in the starting line-up, meaning he is now a genuine threat to the Italian keeper for the position of Cech's deputy.