Wanderley Paiva was born in Três Corações, in the state of Minas Gerais, and in his youth he played for local side Atlético.
With the Belo Horizonte club, Paiva became a first-team regular, and was part of the squad which won the first Campeonato Brasileiro Série A in 1971.
He played 27 matches and scored one goal in that season, and was selected for the team of the tournament, winning the Bola de Prata, awarded by Placar magazine.
In the 2000s, he coached professional sides Juventus, CRAC, Ponte Preta, União São João and Corinthians Alagoano.
His best season was in 2004 with CRAC, when he led the club to victory in the Campeonato Goiano, the state league of Goiás, for the second time in its history.