 The peak of his career was at Santos, despite the fact he was sent off at his debut against São Paulo, where Santos lost at home 2-3.He gained the nickname "Bombeiro" (Portuguese for Firefighter), because he was always putting away crisis with solid displays or key goals - in fact, he only scored on Santos' single goals victories.He could play as a defensive midfielder or a defender, whether a centre back or a sweeper, being better at this last role on his late career because he lost most of his pace.