David Caiado Dias (born 2 May 1987), known as Caiado, is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a winger.
After starting out at Sporting CP, he went to compete professionally in seven countries, including his own.
Club career
Born in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, Caiado joined Sporting CP's youth system at the age of 13 but made only one appearance, coming on as a late substitute for Rodrigo Tello in a 3–2 away loss against S.C. Braga on 7 January 2006. He subsequently spent two seasons on loan to G.D. Estoril Praia in the second division, being scarcely played during this stint mainly due to a serious injury.
In June 2008, Caiado joined C.D. Trofense, which had just been promoted to the Primeira Liga. He played in roughly half of the league games in his first year, but the club was immediately relegated.
Caiado was loaned to Ekstraklasa side Zagłębie Lubin on 29 June 2009. He returned to Trofa in the following transfer window, going on to play in 17 matches.
In the summer of 2010, Caiado joined Olympiakos Nicosia in the Cypriot First Division. He moved clubs and countries again on 29 December 2011, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract with PFC Beroe Stara Zagora in Bulgaria. He made his First Professional Football League debut in a 3–0 defeat at PFC Ludogorets Razgrad on 3 March 2012. He scored his first competitive goal for his new team two weeks later against PSFC Chernomorets Burgas, ending his first season with 13 games and six goals.
On 23 January 2014 he moved to SC Tavriya Simferopol, which at the time ranked second-last in the Ukrainian Premier League. After the Crimean club was disbanded following the peninsula's annexation by Russia, he returned to Portugal's top flight and became Vitória SC's first signing of the summer. The following 28 February, he returned to Ukraine by joining FC Metalist Kharkiv, whom he helped to sixth place during his brief stay at the club.
Caiado moved to the fifth foreign country of his career on 3 September 2015, joining SD Ponferradina of Spain's Segunda División. He scored four goals in his first season, which ended in relegation.
In January 2018, Caiado joined several compatriots at Romanian club CS Gaz Metan Mediaș. On 11 June 2019, he agreed to a deal at fellow Liga I team FC Hermannstadt. In September 2020, both he and teammate Goran Karanović were loaned to FCSB for a single match (against FC Slovan Liberec in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League) as the squad was severely undermanned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Caiado returned to Portugal and its second tier on 20 January 2021, agreeing to a one-and-a-half-year deal at F.C. Penafiel.