Rui Miguel Guerra Pires (born 22 March 1998) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Singapore Premier League club Lion City Sailors.
Club career
Porto B
Rui began his journey in the acclaimed youth system of FC Porto, where he progressed through the ranks, featuring prominently in its Under-15, U17, and U19 sides. He was subsequently promoted to Porto’s B side.
On 7 August 2016, Pires made his professional debut with FC Porto B in a 2016–17 LigaPro match against Aves.
Troyes AC
On 9 July 2019, Pires moved on a free transfer to Ligue 2 side Troyes AC. In December 2019, he suffered anterior cruciate ligament injury ending his season prematurely. He ended up making 13 appearances.
He won the French second-tier Ligue 2 with Troyes in 2020/21.
Paços de Ferreira
On 26 July 2021, he returned to Portugal and joined Paços de Ferreira on loan. His loan was made permanent after a successful loan.
During his time with Paços Ferreira, Rui showed his capabilities on the European stage, making two appearances in the UEFA Europa Conference League Qualifiers.
Lion City Sailors
On 29 June 2023, it was reported by the Portuguese press that Pires had move to Singapore to play for Lion City Sailors.
He was officially announced as the new signing for the team on 14 July 2023 signing a two-year contract. On 26 July 2023, Pires make his debut for the club in a friendly match against Tottenham Hotspurs at the Singapore National Stadium. On 20 September 2023, Pires play his first official game for the club in the 2023–24 AFC Champions League group stage fixture against Thailand club, Bangkok United.