Cricbeat

Chelsea Football Club have confirmed the signing of Raul Meireles from Liverpool on a four-year contract.

The midfielder, 28, arrives after just over a season at Anfield in which he made 44 appearances for the Reds.

Born in Aves, Portugal, the highly-rated international began his career with his hometown club before a move to top-flight Boavista, where he spent one season before moving to Porto in 2004.

It was at the Stadio do Dragao that he flourished and helped Porto to a domestic treble in 2005/06. He scored against Chelsea in the Champions League knockout rounds a year later.

Two more league titles followed in 2008 and 2009 and Meireles established himself in the national side, playing under Luiz Felipe Scolari in the lead-up to Euro 2008, where he scored his first international goal.

He played every game in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, and then scored in South Africa during the 7-0 beating of North Korea to catch Liverpool's eye.

After a low-key start in English football, Meireles came to life in January 2011, scoring five times in six games.

The 5ft 10in midfielder appeared twice from the bench for Kenny Dalglish's side this season before completing his move to Stamford Bridge on transfer deadline day.