Hélio Vaz


Hélio José Vaz is a Portuguese footballer who plays for Grupo Sportivo Loures as a forward.

Club career

Born in Montijo, Setúbal District, Vaz started playing with hometown club C.D. Montijo, whose academy he joined at the age of 12. In 2008, for his last year as a junior, he signed with S.L. Benfica. Upon his arrival, he said that representing the latter was always a dream of his, and that he hoped it would also open the doors of the under-18 national team.
At the end of his youth career, and as Vaz was one of highest goalscorers throughout the season only behind Nélson Oliveira, Benfica decided to offer him a professional contract and loan him. He started out at C.D. Mafra, whom he represented in the opening stages of 2009–10. Due to the lack of playing time, he moved to fellow third division team C.D. Tondela for the remainder of the season.
The following campaign, Vaz was a regular fixture in the early training sessions of Benfica's main squad, but in January 2011 he was loaned to Casa Pia A.C. of the third level. For 2011–12, in also on loan, he joined Segunda Liga's Atlético Clube de Portugal, making his professional debut on 7 August 2011 by coming on as a 72nd-minute substitute in a 1–1 away draw against Portimonense S.C. in the first round of the Taça da Liga.
Subsequently, Vaz opted to terminate his contract with Benfica and join division three club U.D. Leiria, scoring ten goals in his debut season to help to a seventh-place finish. His performances attracted interest abroad, and he signed with Doxa Katokopias FC in the Cypriot First Division on a two-year deal, only to return to his previous team three months later.
At the beginning of the 2016 winter transfer window, Vaz moved to GD Peniche still in the third tier.