[2] Vaz Tê played youth football with his local club Real Massamá, a team which also included Manchester United winger Nani.

[citation needed] Vaz Tê went on trial with Bolton Wanderers in 2003 and he was signed on a three-year youth academy contract.

[2] He made such an impression at youth level that Vaz Tê quickly found himself part of the Bolton first-team squad.

He only appeared in one more game throughout that season, a 0–1 defeat to Sporting CP in the UEFA Cup in which Bolton Manager Gary Megson played mostly a reserve team.

In August 2008, there was confusion regarding the player, when it was widely reported that he had signed for Racing de Santander on loan as part of a swap deal that would see fellow striker Ebi Smolarek go the other way.

[5][6] On 30 June 2010 it was reported that Vaz Tê had signed a three-year deal with Greek Super League club Panionios.

[7] In December 2010, after less than six months in Greece, it was announced that Vaz Tê and Panionios had come to an agreement to mutually terminate his contract.

[3] Vaz Tê went on trial with Scottish Premier League club Hibernian in February 2011[6] and manager Colin Calderwood stated that both parties were in discussions about a contract.

[12] Vaz Tê later said that he had played for Hibs for "no money", but had chosen to go there due to the "visibility" of Scottish football in neighbouring England.

[17] Vaz Tê signed for then Championship club West Ham United on 31 January 2012, for an undisclosed fee on a 2+1⁄2-year deal with an option for a third year.

[18] Vaz Tê made his debut for the club, coming on as an 89th-minute substitute for Carlton Cole in the London derby against Millwall on 4 February.

[3] He was in the starting line-up from the beginning of the 2012–13 season scoring his first Premier League goal for West Ham in their 2–1 away win at QPR on 1 October 2012.

[35][36] On 18 January 2015, Vaz Tê joined Turkish Süper Lig side Akhisar Belediyespor on a six-month contract.

[41] After his stint in China, Vaz Tê moved back to Portugal, signing for Primeira Liga club Portimonense.

In the summer of 2005, Vaz Tê took part in the annual Toulon tournament scoring a hat-trick for Portugal U-20s, in their game with South Korea.