De la Red playing for Real Madrid |
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rubén de la Red Gutiérrez | ||
| Date of birth | 5 June 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Móstoles, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1999–2004 | Real Madrid | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2004–2007 | Real Madrid B | 95 | (14) |
| 2006–2007 | Real Madrid | 10 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | Getafe | 31 | (3) |
| 2008–2010 | Real Madrid | 7 | (1) |
| National team | |||
| 2004–2006 | Spain U19 | 4 | (0) |
| 2006–2008 | Spain U21 | 5 | (0) |
| 2008 | Spain | 3 | (1) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2011– | Real Madrid (youth - assistant) | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Rubén de la Red Gutiérrez (born 5 June 1985) is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a central midfielder.
He made a name for himself at Getafe after emerging through Real Madrid's cantera. Returning to his first club in 2008, he suffered a serious heart ailment which put his career on hold for two years, until he finally retired in late 2010.
Additionally, de la Red was part of Spain's squad at the victorious Euro 2008 tournament.
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Born in Móstoles, Community of Madrid, de la Red arrived at the Real Madrid youth system when he was 14, being the youngest in Cadete B. At one point, he was transferred to CD Móstoles after being told he was not good enough, but was soon re-signed by Madrid. After his fourth season with the club, youth coach Quique Flores, who was moving to Getafe CF, wanted de la Red to join him at his new club, but Madrid turned him down. The player said: "It is a pride that Quique was interested so much in me, but for me Real Madrid is the number one choice, that is clear; everything else comes afterwards".
De la Red made his first-team debut on November 10, 2004 against CD Tenerife in the season's Copa del Rey, a 2–1 away win. His La Liga debut came on 22 September 2005, playing two minutes in a 3–1 home triumph against Athletic Bilbao, and he played two more games as a late substitute during that campaign.
In the 2006–07 season, de la Red was called-up to the main squad by then-manager Fabio Capello, along with teammates Miguel Torres and Miguel Ángel Nieto, and made seven appearances during the league-winning campaign. On 8 November 2006, he scored his first goal with the main squad, closing the scoresheet against Écija Balompié for the season's domestic cup (5–1 home win, 6–2 aggregate). After the end of the season, the midfielder renewed his contract until 2011.[1]
On 31 August 2007, de la Red was transferred to Madrid-based Getafe, with Real Madrid having an option to re-buy the next two years.[2] There, he established himself as an important first team player, usually assuming the role of playmaker, having been joined at the team by another Real Madrid canterano, Esteban Granero, who arrived on loan. During the season, he was forced, due to injuries to teammates, to perform as centre back, notably in the UEFA Cup quarterfinal tie against FC Bayern Munich, in which second leg he was sent off in the 6th minute; in the continental competition, he scored three times in 11 matches, notably in a 2–1 win at Tottenham Hotspur, on 25 October 2007, equalizing after a set piece combination with Granero.[3]
Real Madrid president Ramón Calderón confirmed in May 2008 that, along with Granero and Javi García, de la Red would return to the Santiago Bernabéu for the 2008–09 season. It was suggested that Ruben could be used in a swap deal involving a number of potential targets, although then coach Bernd Schuster stated that he was willing to give the midfielder a chance to impress in his team.
He scored his first goal for the club since returning on 24 August 2008, in the Spanish Supercup final (second leg) against Valencia CF, with an astounding long-range effort, adding his first in the league - for Real - on September 21, against Racing de Santander (2–0 away win).
On 30 October 2008, de la Red was hospitalized after collapsing during a Spanish Cup match against Real Unión. He suffered an effort syncope.[4] On 12 December, the club announced the player would be missing the rest of the campaign as a precaution, and some subsequent media reports claimed that he might never recover from his heart condition.[5]
In late June 2009, after further tests proved inconclusive, de la Red missed the entire 2009–10 season, also being scheduled for tests every two months to monitor his situation.[6] On 2 July, the club confirmed the news through its official website.[7] After new Madrid signing Raúl Albiol was given the number 18 shirt, previously worn by de la Red, the defender promised to give the shirt number back to de la Red, in the possibility he made a return.[8]
In January 2010, it was reported in various Madrid-based news sites that Real Madrid were attempting to declare de la Red's heart problem to be "a common condition", and therefore find a way to annul his contract.[9] As a consequence, the player would only receive a €1,500-monthly disability benefit, rather than the full wages due from the remaining two years of his professional contract.
On 3 November 2010, de la Red announced his retirement from football at only 25.[10] Prior to this announcement, he stated he would remain at the club as a youth coach.[11]
Director of football Jorge Valdano - also a former club player and coach - added: "This day marks a turning point in Rubén's life. He ends his career as a player to focus all his passion for this sport on training. He is, from today, a part of Real Madrid's coaching staff and will start learning about what we do and how we come about it. He will also be part of Mourinho's 'lab', in which every game is rigorously prepared. The objective is for Rubén to learn skills in order to apply them to whatever team he ends up being assigned to. He's gone through all of the different teams the club has and he will use that experience to continue to be a part of the world of football".[12]
De la Red played for the U-21s, before being called up by the senior team for a March 26, 2008 friendly against Italy, but did not make his debut. Uncapped, he was named in the nation's squad of 22 for UEFA Euro 2008 by coach Luis Aragonés, but would appear in two friendly games against Peru and USA prior to the continental competition.
During the tournament's final group stage match, de la Red scored his only international goal with a powerful strike against Greece, on 18 June, for a 2–1 win.[13]
| Club | Season | League | Cup[14] | Europe[15] | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Real Madrid | 2004–05 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2005–06 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2006–07 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 1 | |
| total | 10 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 1 | |
| Getafe | 2007–08 | 31 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 49 | 6 |
| Total | 31 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 49 | 6 | |
| Real Madrid | 2008–09 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 2 |
| Total | 7 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 2 | |
| Career totals | 48 | 3 | 13 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 76 | 9 | |
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