Daniel Candeias

Nacional In October 2010, Candeias moved to C.D. Nacional in the same league on a co-ownership deal. He was immediately loaned to Portimonense SC, appearing regularly as a starter but suffering top-flight relegation.

Upon returning to Funchal, Candeias made his debut in the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round against Fimleikafélag Hafnarfjarðar of Iceland; he came on as a late substitute in the second leg on 21 July 2011 and scored to conclude a 2–0 win (3–1 aggregate). He netted 15 more goals for the side, including the winner with his first touch from the bench in a 2–1 comeback against C.S. Marítimo in the Madeira derby on 21 April 2013, and the opener of a victory of the same score over his former club Porto the following 30 March, in which he also assisted the decider by Mario Rondón at the Estádio da Madeira.

Benfica On 3 July 2014, Candeias signed for Portuguese champions S.L. Benfica, promising to "give everything" for the club. He failed to appear in any competitive games, however, being successively loaned to 1. FC Nürnberg in Germany, Granada CF in Spain, FC Metz in France and Alanyaspor in Turkey.

Rangers

On 11 June 2017, Candeias joined Scottish club Rangers on a two-year deal, for a reported transfer fee of £700,000. He made his debut 18 days later, playing 31 minutes in a 1–0 home win over FC Progrès Niederkorn in the UEFA Europa League.

Candeias scored his first goal for his new team on 9 August 2017, in a 6–0 rout of Dunfermline Athletic in the Scottish League Cup. He netted in an Old Firm game on 11 March 2018 to give them a 2–1 lead in a 3–2 loss to Celtic at Ibrox Park. Three days later, he extended his contract until the summer of 2020.

Candeias was voted Rangers' Player of the Year in his first season.

Return to Turkey On 22 July 2019, Candeias signed a two-year contract at Gençlerbirliği S.K. of the Turkish Süper Lig. His three goals of his first season in Ankara were all scored on 19 October in a 6–0 win at Antalyaspor, in which he added two assists to his hat-trick.

Having suffered relegation, Candeias returned to Alanyaspor on a deal of the same length in June 2021. Accompanying compatriots José Marafona, Wilson Eduardo and João Novais, he scored his first goal of his new spell away to Galatasaray S.K. on 19 September, coming off the bench to decide the game with three minutes remaining.

Remaining in the same country, but now in its second tier, 35-year-old Candeias signed for Kocaelispor on 20 July 2023.

International career After having made his Porto debut in 2008, Candeias was soon called up to the Portugal under-21 team. He won his first cap on 5 September of that year, coming on as a 58th-minute substitute for Vieirinha in a 2–0 away loss to England for the 2009 UEFA European Championship qualifiers.

Career statistics

Honours Porto Primeira Liga: 2008–09 Taça de Portugal: 2008–09

Individual Scottish Premiership top assist provider: 2017–18 Rangers Player of the Year: 2017–18