This smooth passing midfielder is probably best known for his short time at Tottenham for the "goal that never was".

Signed by Jacques Santini to bring experience to the midfield, Mendes showed his class in his few appearances for the team.  Having served Guimaraes and Porto well in Portugal, he secured the league title and Champions League with the latter club.  It was this quality that Santini introduced and Mendes' control of the ball and both long and short passing, helped the team move forward.  A slight build did not allow him to be easily dispossessed and he used his body to good effect in holding onto the ball

He struggled to score as frequently as he had at Guimaraes, but his long range effort in the 5-1 win over Everton on New Years Day 2005 indicated that he had goals in him.  Indeed, in the next match, away at Old Trafford, he was only denied a second Spurs goal by a rank disgraceful piece of officiating by referee Mark Clattenburg and his linesman.  Having got to the ball first as it dropped just short of the halfway line with seconds remaining, Mendes hoisted a towering, dropping shot on goal.  With Manchester United goalkeeper Roy Carroll stationed towards the front of his penalty area, he moved back, but as the ball came down, he lost balance and could only try to catch the ball high on his chest.  The keeper failed to gather the ball as it hit him harder than he thought it would and squirmed over his shoulder and into the goal.  With the linesman woefully behind play, but still in a good enough position to see, the ball cleared the goal-line by a yard before Carroll hopefully scooped the ball out of the goal.  Everyone, apart from the Manchester United players and staff were gob-smacked to see Clattenburg wave play on.  Spurs took the decision with good grace, but the other amazing thing was that the FA and the Premier League took no action against the officials who played their dishonourable part in the "goal that never was."

It should have been the start of a golden period of his career at Tottenham, but Pedro suffered with injuries to his toe and his foot while at White Hart Lane and rarely became a regular starter.

It was with a view to having a settled midfield that Jol decided that he would be allowed to leave for Portsmouth, with Noe Pamarot and Sean Davis, all signings made by previous manager Jacques Santini.  He did well for Harry Redknapp at Fratton Park, helping keep the team in the Premier League with his goals, but once more injury restricted the number of games he played and in August 2008, he was transferred to Glasgow Rangers against the wishes of manager Harry Redknapp.  Playing in the slower game in Scotland, he stood out as a class act, with his running off the ball and passing making a big difference to the way the side played.

In the 2010 January transfer window, Mendes was allowed ot move on with Sporting Lisbon paying £1.5 million to take him back to Portugal and he had been performing well enough to be include din the 2010 World Cup squad, playing all four games - two from the start.