What’s happened to Lucas Joao after Sheffield Wednesday and Reading? | OneFootball

Lucas Joao has had an interesting career trajectory since leaving behind Sheffield Wednesday and Reading in 2023

Lucas João is a name which will be familiar to those who have been familiar with the Championship over the past decade or so, as the Angolan forward has had an interesting career since leaving English shores in 2023.

João came through the ranks of Portuguese outfit Nacional, the same club which helped to produce a certain Cristiano Ronaldo, but it would be on loan with Mirandela where he would make a name for himself.

Having impressed out on loan, the striker broke into first-team plans with Nacional, scoring six and assisting seven in 30 top-flight games across the 2014/15 campaign, capturing the attention of Sheffield Wednesday.

Lucas João first made the move to England with Sheffield Wednesday in 2015

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Wednesday, then managed by Carlos Carvalhal, brought João to South Yorkshire to compete with Kosovan giant Atdhe Nuhiu up top, though it would take him a minute to get up to speed with the Championship.

He would net his first goal after eight league games, coming in a 2-1 win away over Brentford, but despite this, he would still struggle to break into the Wednesday side consistently, finishing his first season at Hillsborough with six goals and three assists, starting 15 games in 40 league appearances for the Owls.

His struggles would continue into the following campaign following Wednesday’s play-off final defeat to Hull City, as he would be allowed to join Blackburn Rovers for the second half of the 2016/17 campaign, scoring 3 in 13 Championship appearances at Ewood Park.

Upon his return to Wednesday, João would feature regularly over the next couple of years, though he remained unable to nail down a consistent starting berth in the Owls lineup, and having netted against Reading on the opening day of the 2019/20 season, the Royals saw enough to part ways with around £5 million to lure the centre-forward to Berkshire.

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Upon joining Reading, João netted on his debut against Hull, and though injuries would interrupt his minutes, he would still finish his first year with the Royals with six goals and four assists in just 19 league appearances.

In the 2020/21 season, João would explode into life and remind Wednesday of what they could have had if they put their trust in him, as the Angolan would grab 19 goals and seven assists in 39 Championship games for Reading, who just narrowly missed out on a place in the play-offs.

Ten goals and three assists in just 24 games the following season came after, as injuries would once again catch up to João, and after just one more quiet year in Berkshire, his time in England would come to an end following Reading’s relegation to League One.

Lucas João has played in five different countries since leaving Reading in 2023

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Since leaving English shores, João’s career trajectory has been interesting, to say the least, as a move to China with Shanghai Port came first.

After just six months in East Asia, however, he’d be on the move again, this time to Qatari-based outfit Umm Salal, netting three and assisting twice in ten league games for the club.

It didn’t take long for the 33-year-old to be packing his suitcase once again, though, as João would venture to Iran with Persepolis in 2024, but after just five months, he’d be on a plane once again, this time to Turkish second-tier side Umraniyespor.

Predictably, his time in Turkey didn’t last long either, as the striker would return to Nacional in the Portuguese top flight in 2025, but having failed to net in any of his 19 league games, he would leave the club once again, heading to the Angolan capital, linking up with Petro Luanda.

João is yet to make an appearance three months after his move to Africa, and though he is almost certainly out of his prime, he will always be remembered for his exploits with Wednesday and Reading in the Championship.

Lucas João enjoyed a solid Championship career with Sheffield Wednesday and Reading

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Though it took him a while to get up to speed with the English second tier, João would go on to have an excellent career in the division, scoring 71 goals and grabbing 29 assists in 242 appearances.

With exactly 100 goal contributions in the Championship, there are very few players who can boast much better than that, as the Portuguese striker possessed the ability to go beyond the level he reached, but for one reason or another, it never happened for him.

Despite this, João likely has few complaints about how his career has ultimately panned out, and at 33, he is in his twilight years.

Having played in five different countries since leaving Reading, you would be brave to back against the Angolan winding up in another before too long.