Nelson Oliveira was born on August 8, 1991 in Barcelos, ​​Portugal. His first club was Santa Maria before moving on to the Braga academies in 2003. He stayed there for three years, until he was noticed by Benfica, who made him a resident of Lisbon in 2006.

His unofficial debut for the Eagles’ first team came in 2009 under the guidance of Kike Flores, but he spent the next six months in the B Team before being loaned out to Rio Ave in January 2010. Six months later he returned to Da Luz only to leave again, this time for Pacos Ferreira. That’s where Oliveira scored his first four professional goals came in a season during which he made 23 appearances.

He returned to Benfica and made his first competitive appearance in October 2011 while fighting for a place in the squad. In the summer of 2012, he went out on loan once more, as the many incoming expensive transfers left him with few opportunities.

Deportivo La Coruna offered him the opportunity to test his skills outside of Portugal and Oliveira spent one season in the Primera Division, scoring four goals in 31 appearances. Further loan spells continued into the 2013-14 season with Rennes being the next stop in his career. In France The Portuguese forward’s stats began to improve, with eight goals coming in 36 games, as well as two assists.

In the summer of 2014 he took another opportunity with Benfica, earning a place in the first team squad, but his move back proved to be short-lived, as in December he was transferred to Swansea and then to Nottingham Forest.

The 2015-16 season proved to be the peak of his career up to that point, with nine goals and one assist in 29 games, performances with which he made his name in the UK. Norwich reached an agreement with Benfica and signed him at a cost of around six million euros.

At Norwich, Oliveira spent three years, making 70 appearances, scoring 20 goals, and contributing five assists, making him one of the most important players in the squad. In the second half of the 2018-19 season, he was loaned to Reading, where he scored three goals in 10 appearances.

In July 2019, AEK brought the Portuguese to Greece. At The Union, Oliveira claimed a regular starting place and played for two seasons. Overall he made 70 appearances in all competitions, scoring 26 times and providing 10 assists.

Oliveira is also an international with the Portuguese national team. He went through all the age levels of his national team set-up, producing impressive numbers, eventually making his full debut with the senior men’s team in February 2012. He played at Euro 2012, while in all he has played 17 times, scoring twice.

And now this summer, Oliveira was released by AEK and accepted PAOK’s proposal, ensuring that he remains in Greece for the 2021-22 season.