Fernando Hierro

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Fernando Hierro
Personal information
Full name	Fernando Ruiz Hierro
Date of birth	March 23, 1968
Place of birth	Vélez-Málaga, Spain
Height	6.2" / 1.87 m
Nickname	El Jefe - The Boss
Position	CB DMF
Club information
Current club	Retired
Youth clubs
1980 - 1987	Vélez-Málaga
Professional clubs*
Years	Club	Apps (goals)
1987 - 1989 1989 - 2003 2003 - 2004 2004 - 2005	Real Valladolid Real Madrid Al Rayyan Bolton Wanderers	58 (3) 598 (126) - (-) 35 (1)
National team**
1989 - 2002	Spain	89 (29)
* Professional club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of August 15, 2006. ** National team caps and goals correct as of August 15, 2006.

Fernando Ruiz Hierro (born March 23rd 1968 in Vélez-Málaga) is a former Spanish footballer. He is most famous as a member of Real Madrid and Spain, for whom he played as a defender, and sometimes as a defensive midfielder. At his peak, Hierro's ability to combine solid defensive play with a near-unlimited passing range made him one of the world's most sought-after players.

Contents 1 Club career 2 National team career 3 Trivia 4 External links

[edit] Club career

With Real Madrid, Hierro won the La Liga championship five times and the UEFA Champions League three times: 1998, 2000, and 2002. He paired with Manuel Sanchís in central defense for several years and was the primary captain of the club after the retirement of Sanchís.

He was released by Real Madrid at the end of the 2002-03 season under rather unceremonious circumstances and without the fanfare normally accorded to a player of his stature at the club. Hierro then chose a lucrative move to the wealthy but developing middle east football industry. After playing for one year for Qatar club Al Rayyan, Hierro returned to Europe for the 2004-05 season, signing with English Premiership side Bolton Wanderers on the advice of his English team-mate at Real Madrid, Steve McManaman. He announced his retirement after one season in England and finished playing football on May 15th 2005. Hierro had made a great impact at Bolton playing in an anchor midfield role and consigning compatriot Ivan Campo to bench duty and manager Sam Allardyce would have loved him to stay on but Hierro had made up his mind to hang up his boots.

[edit] National team career

Hierro has been capped 89 times for Spain, a record for a Spanish outfield player, and has scored 29 goals. He played in the 1994, 1998, and 2002 World Cups, as well as Euro 96 and Euro 2000. He was selected for the FIFA All Star team in 2002, and chosen UEFA Best Defender in 1998.

He played in qualifying matches for the 1990 World Cup and the Euro 92, but did not appear in any of those final tournaments. During the 1994 World Cup qualification, he headed the winning goal against Denmark that allowed Spain to qualify for the final tournament in the USA. In the World Cup finals, he scored on an individual play against Switzerland in second round, before his team was eliminated by Italy in quartefinals.

At the time of the 2002 World Cup, he was the leading goalscorer for the Spanish national team. He retired from the national team in 2002 and was since replaced both as captain and as leading goalscorer by Raúl.

[edit] Trivia

His brother Manuel, also a footballer, played for FC Barcelona. Manuel became the coach of Málaga CF in 2006, when the team was relegated to Segunda División.

[edit] External links

• Fernando Ruiz Hierro - Goals in International Matches, by RSSSF

	Spain squad - 1990 FIFA World Cup
1 Zubizarreta | 2 Chendo | 3 Jiménez | 4 Andrinúa | 5 Sanchís | 6 Martín Vázquez | 7 Pardeza | 8 Quique | 9 Butragueño | 10 Fernando | 11 Villarroya | 12 Alkorta | 13 Ablanedo | 14 Górriz | 15 Roberto | 16 Bakero | 17 Hierro | 18 Paz | 19 Salinas | 20 Manolo | 21 Míchel | 22 Ochotorena | Coach: Luis Suárez

	Spain squad - 1994 World Cup Quarter-finalists
1 Zubizarreta | 2 Ferrer | 3 Otero | 4 Camarasa | 5 Abelardo | 6 Hierro | 7 Goikoetxea | 8 Guerrero | 9 Guardiola | 10 Bakero | 11 Beguiristáin | 12 Sergi | 13 Cañizares | 14 Juanele | 15 Caminero | 16 Miñambres | 17 Voro | 18 Alkorta | 19 Salinas | 20 Nadal | 21 Luis Enrique | 22 Lopetegui | Coach: Clemente

	Spain squad - 1998 FIFA World Cup
1 Zubizarreta | 2 Ferrer | 3 Aranzábal | 4 Alkorta | 5 Abelardo | 6 Hierro | 7 Morientes | 8 Guerrero | 9 Pizzi | 10 Raúl | 11 Alfonso | 12 Sergi | 13 Cañizares | 14 Campo | 15 Aguilera | 16 Celades | 17 Etxeberria | 18 Amor | 19 Kiko | 20 Nadal | 21 Luis Enrique | 22 Molina | Coach: Clemente

	Spain squad - 2002 FIFA World Cup Quarter-finalists
1 Casillas | 2 Torres | 3 Juanfran | 4 Helguera | 5 Puyol | 6 Hierro | 7 Raúl | 8 Baraja | 9 Morientes | 10 Tristán | 11 de Pedro | 12 Luque | 13 Ricardo | 14 Albelda | 15 Romero | 16 Mendieta | 17 Valerón | 18 Sergio | 19 Xavi | 20 Nadal | 21 Luis Enrique | 22 Joaquín | 23 Contreras | Coach: Camacho