Carlos Ruiz Herrero

Carlos Ruiz

Personal information
Full name	Carlos Ruiz Herrero
Date of birth	(1948-06-07) 7 June 1948
Place of birth	Bilbao, Spain
Height
Position(s)	Forward
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1968–1969	Getxo
1969–1970	Bilbao Athletic	25	(8)
1970–1981	Athletic Bilbao	213	(81)
1981–1982	Español	21	(2)
Total		259	(91)
International career
1977	Spain U21	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Ruiz and the second or maternal family name is Herrero.

Carlos Ruiz Herrero (born 7 June 1948) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a forward.

Club career

Born in Bilbao, Biscay, Ruiz played during 11 seasons with Athletic Bilbao, plus one in the reserves, having been signed in 1969 from Basque neighbours CD Getxo. On 12 September 1970 he made his debut for the first team, playing the dying minutes of the 1–1 home draw against FC Barcelona.

In the following years Ruiz continued to be used regularly by the club, although he was not always an undisputed starter. In the 1974–75 season, however, he scored a career-best 19 goals in 32 games (winning the Pichichi Trophy in the process), for a tenth place in La Liga; on 18 May 1977 he netted the 2–1 at home against Juventus FC in the campaign's UEFA Cup final – scoring a total of five during the side's continental run – but the Italians won it on the away goals rule.

Ruiz still enjoyed two seasons in double digits until he left Athletic (including 1977–78, with 16 goals), but also dealt with several injuries. He eventually retired from the game in the 1982 summer at the age of 34, after a spell with RCD Español, amassing top flight totals of 234 matches and 83 goals.

International career

Ruiz was never capped by Spain at senior level, but did play for the under-21 side once. It was in a match against Yugoslavia played in Elche, at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero.

Honours

Club

• Copa del Generalísimo: 1972–73; Runner-up 1976–77
• UEFA Cup: Runner-up 1976–77

Individual

• La Liga: Top scorer 1974–75

External links

• Carlos Ruiz profile at BDFutbol
• Athletic Bilbao profile