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Personal Information
| Full Name | Givanildo Vieira de Sousa |
| Date of Birth | July 25, 1986 |
| Nationality | Brazil |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Current Team(s) | |
| Role | Forward / Winger |
| Past Team(s) | |
| Family | Iran Souza (Spouse), Maria do Socorro Souza (Mother), Jovan Souza (Father) |
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Hulk: A Brief Biography
Hulk Biography
Givanildo Vieira de Sousa, popularly known as Hulk is a Brazilian footballer. He was born on the 25th of July, 1986, in Campina Grande, Brazil. Hulk is a forward player who can also start as a winger. The Brazilian currently represents Shanghai SIPG in the Chinese Super League.
Background
Hulk started his professional career with Esporte Clube Vitória in Salvador. After playing there for a year, he went to Japan to feature for Kawasaki Frontale. All this while, he was becoming a hit among his teammates with his striking abilities.
He played the 2006 season with second division Consadole Sapporo where he scored 25 goals which was just one less than the top scorer of the tournament.
Debut
Hulk made his international debut for Brazil on the 14th of November, 2009 against England in a friendly match. However, his first goal came three years later against Denmark in which he scored a hattrick.
Rise to Glory
Hulk represented Brazil in the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. By then he had the knack of scoring goals in crunch situations. He netted in the 1-2 final loss against Mexico at the Olympics.
Hulk was recognized as one of the rising stars by UEFA after his top performances in the UEFA Champions league for Porto in 2009. He had a breakthrough season in 2010-11 where he scored 16 goals in his first 16 official matches. From September to January, he won the Portuguese Championship Player of the Month, making him the only player to have won the award six times.
On 3rd September 2012, Hulk became a part of Zenit. But he had a roller-coaster of a ride there. He was named in the best XI of the 2015–16 UEFA Champions’ League group stage.
Low Points
In the 2009-10 season, Hulk was involved in a tunnel brawl during the league loss against S.L. Benfica. The initial four-month ban was reduced to just four games.
When Hulk completed a transfer of €60 million to Zenit, he created unrest among his team mates as they were unsatisfied with his salary. They wanted to renegotiate their contracts and the news unsettled the team.
Hulk also suffered from a dangerous head injury while playing for Shanghai SIPG in 2016. This injury ruled him out for two months.
