 Dubbed the new António Veloso by the press, he made his debut on 13 September 1997 in a Primeira Liga home draw against Académica de Coimbra, becoming a regular starter and scoring his first and only goal for the club in a 4–1 win over Sporting CP at the Estádio José Alvalade; Graeme Souness brought in Gary Charles midway through the 1998–99 campaign, and his playing time was subsequently vastly reduced.In 1999, Sousa joined Alverca on a permanent deal, staying only one year before signing a five-year contract with FC Porto on 5 August 2000.He was consecutively loaned during his tenure at the latter, however.