In early July 2015, the 32-year-old extended that by a further three. Castro returned to Académica on 25 September 2017, after an absence of 11 years. In April 2022, after the club confirmed its first-ever relegation to the third division, he announced his retirement, saying of Portuguese football "We are very ignorant, football-wise. We aren't illiterate, illiteracy is not being able to learn. If you can learn but don't want to, you're ignorant". International career Shortly after his debut with Académica, Castro became a defensive stalwart for the Portugal under-21s, and appeared at the 2006 UEFA European Championship on home soil. There, he played three complete matches as the team exited in the group stage, and scored an own goal in the 2–0 defeat against Serbia. On 10 June 2009, Castro finally made his full debut, in a 0–0 friendly draw in Estonia. On 10 May of the following year, in spite of a poor season at Deportivo, he was included in a provisional squad of 24 players announced by Carlos Queiroz in view of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; however, after Pepe recovered in time to participate in the competition, he was cut. Career statistics Club International Honours Deportivo UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2008 Segunda División: 2011–12 References External links 1983 births Living people Sportspeople from Coimbra Portuguese footballers Association football defenders Primeira Liga players Liga Portugal 2 players Segunda Divisão players Associação Académica de Coimbra – O.A.F. players La Liga players Segunda División players Atlético Madrid footballers Deportivo de La Coruña players Rayo Vallecano players Portugal youth international footballers Portugal under-21 international footballers Portugal B international footballers Portugal international footballers Portuguese expatriate footballers Expatriate footballers in Spain Portuguese expatriate sportspeople in Spain