Alan was born in Salvador, Bahia. After starting professionally with Ipatinga Esporte Clube he moved overseas, joining Portuguese Primeira Liga club C.S. Marítimo in 2001–02 and playing 27 games in his debut season, but slightly less in the following. In his third year he scored nine league goals, notably one against Sporting CP in the 96th minute of a 2–1 home win as the Madeira team qualified to the UEFA Cup after finishing sixth; the next season, on 6 February 2005, he also netted against the same opponent in another victory at the Estádio do Marítimo. Alan joined FC Porto for 2005–06, sharing teams with established Portuguese international Ricardo Quaresma, but still managed 24 league appearances in the campaign – although 14 as a substitute – scoring in a 3–0 home defeat of Rio Ave F.C. on 10 September 2005. In his second year he featured less prominently, being loaned to fellow league side Vitória S.C. for one season. During 2007–08, Alan was an everpresent element as the Guimarães team achieved a third-place in the domestic championship, in its first year after having achievedpromotion. During the league campaign he only missed one game and totalled 2,367 minutes of play, finding the net in the last round, a 4–0 home win against C.F. Estrela da Amadora; in June 2008, he was released by Porto and joined Vitória's Minho Province neighbours S.C. Braga. On 23 October 2008, Alan scored after an individual effort in a UEFA Cup 3–0 home triumph over Premier League's Portsmouth. He also featured in all the league matches, as Braga finished fifth; in the following season, he fared even better scoring nine goals, again in 30 matches, as the club managed a best-ever runner-up position. In the early rounds, he notably netted against Sporting and former club Porto. Veteran Alan continued to be an automatic first-choice for Braga in the following years, when healthy. On 2 October 2012, he scored the second goal in a 2–0 win at Galatasaray SK in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League; he added a brace in the competition's next matchday, but his team lost 2–3 at Manchester United after being 2–0 up. On 13 April 2013, through a 45th-minute penalty, Alan netted the game's only goal against former team Porto – reduced to ten players prior to that action – to help Braga win the domestic League Cup, a first-ever for them. He retired in June 2017 at almost 38 years of age, remaining tied to his last club in directorial capacities.
