Known by his first name in his playing days, Hélio was born in Setúbal and played his entire career with hometown club Vitória Futebol Clube.
Hélio retired at almost 36, after helping Vitória to the 2005 Portuguese Cup in a 2-1 final win against S.L. Benfica,[REF] having played 424 league games - club best - and scoring 20 goals.