Jamiro Monteiro

Jamiro Gregory Monteiro Alvarenga (born 23 November 1993), commonly known as Jamiro, is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Süper Lig club Gaziantep. Born in the Netherlands, he plays for the Cape Verde national team.

Early life
Monteiro was raised by his Cape Verde immigrant parents in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Monteiro played in the youth teams of Sparta Rotterdam, FC Dordrecht, Hansa Rostock, FC Anker Wismar and SC Cambuur. Often viewed as undersized, at age 20, Monteiro's footballing skills eventually landed him the opportunity to join the U21 system at FC Dordrecht. By 21, he eventually signed a contract with the U21 system at SC Cambuur with the intention of making the first team.

Cambuur
Monteiro started his professional career with Cambuur, playing in Eredivisie, the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. He made his debut on 19 September 2015, in a home match against FC Twente (0–0), coming on as a substitute for Jack Byrne in the 61st minute. He scored his first goal on 20 December 2015, in a 4–1 away win against his hometown club Excelsior Rotterdam. After one season in the top flight, his club was relegated to the Eerste Divisie.

On 25 January 2017, Monteiro scored the winning penalty kick in a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals of the 2016–17 KNVB Cup against FC Utrecht. Cambuur thus qualified for the semi-finals of the KNVB Cup for the first time in the club's history. Monteiro was awarded a Bronze Ball in March 2017, after coaches, captains and supporters of the Eerste Divisie clubs voted him the best player of the third period of the 2016–17 season.

Heracles Almelo
On 30 June, 2017, Monteiro joined Eredivisie side Heracles Almelo. On 16 September 2017, he scored his first goal for Heracles in a 2–1 defeat to PEC Zwolle. On 18 April 2018, Monteiro scored two stoppage time goals, including a last minute penalty, to help Heracles draw 2–2 with Excelsior Rotterdam. On 27 January 2018, Monteiro opened the scoring for Heracles in a 3–3 draw with FC Groningen.

Metz
On 28 July 2018, Monteiro joined Ligue 2 side Metz on a three-year deal. On 3 August 2018, Monteiro made his debut for Metz in a 5–1 victory over US Orléans, coming on as a substitute for Ibrahima Niane in the 66th minute.

Philadelphia Union
In March 2019, Monteiro secured a four-month loan move to the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer with options to extend the loan and purchase. On 8 June 2019, he scored his first goal for Philadelphia in a 3–2 victory over New York Red Bulls. His performance with the Union justified the team to extend his loan to the conclusion of the 2019 season. Monteiro finished his first season in MLS making 26 appearances, 22 of which as part of the starting lineup. He scored four goals and provided nine assists ultimately helping the Union to their first ever playoff win. On 11 January 2020, Monteiro was signed permanently by the Union for a club-record fee of $2 million. He signed a three-year contract with the club as a Designated Player. Monteiro finished the 2020 season with four goals and four assists, contributing the Union's first major trophy in the 2020 Supporters' Shield.

San Jose Earthquakes
On 14 February 2022, Monteiro signed for the San Jose Earthquakes. In exchange for his transfer, the Philadelphia Union received $250,000 in allocation money, an international roster slot, and up to $200,000 in performance-based allocation money. He signed for San Jose as a Designated Player. On 14 May 2022, Monteiro scored his first goal for San Jose in a 3–3 draw with Vancouver Whitecaps. On 19 May 2022, Monteiro was awarded MLS Player of the Week for Week 12 of the 2022 season in recognition of his two goals in a 3–2 win over the Portland Timbers.

International career
Monteiro was born in Netherlands to parents of Cape Verdean descent. In March 2016, Monteiro received his first international call for the Cape Verde national team for 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification. He made his debut in a 2–0 loss against Morocco as a late substitute. On 7 October 2021, Monteiro scored his first national team goal during the second round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification: an equalizer versus Liberia.

Monteiro was a member of Cape Verde's squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. He played in the team's second and third Group A matches: a 1–0 loss to Burkina Faso and a 1–1 draw with host nation Cameroon. His third appearance at the tournament was a 2–0 loss to eventual champions Senegal in the round of 16.

In December 2023, Monteiro was named in Cape Verde's squad for his second Africa Cup of Nations – the 2023 tournament in the Ivory Coast. He scored Cape Verde's opening goal of the tournament in the 17th minute of the team's 2–1 win over Ghana in their first Group B match.

International goals

 * Scores and results list Cape Verde's goal tally first.

Honours
Philadelphia Union
 * Supporters' Shield: 2020

Individual
 * CONCACAF Champions League Team of the Tournament: 2021