Rubén González Rocha

Rubén
Personal information
Full nameRubén González Rocha
Date of birth29 January 1982
Place of birthCompostela, Spain
Height1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing positionCentre back
Club information
Current team
Zaragoza
Number5
Youth career
Conxo
Compostela
Real Madrid
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2001–2006Real Madrid B87(4)
2002–2006Real Madrid4(0)
2004Borussia M'gladbach (loan)3(0)
2004–2005Albacete (loan)22(0)
2006–2007Racing Santander34(2)
2007–2009Celta70(1)
2009–2011Mallorca31(3)
2011–2013Osasuna26(0)
2013–2014Baku23(0)
2014–Zaragoza10(1)
National team
1999Spain U166(0)
1999Spain U173(0)
2000–2001Spain U1810(0)
2001Spain U201(0)
2002–2003Spain U218(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 8 December 2014.
† Appearances (Goals).
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is González and the second or maternal family name is Rocha.

Rubén González Rocha, simply known as Rubén (born 29 January 1982), is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Real Zaragoza as a central defender.

He came through the youth ranks at Real Madrid, but appeared in only 11 official games in four years. He amassed La Liga totals of 118 games and five goals over the course of ten seasons, also representing in the competition Albacete, Racing de Santander, Mallorca and Osasuna.

Club career

Rubén was born in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia. A youth product of La Liga powerhouse Real Madrid, who signed him from local SD Compostela, he would only amass four first-team league appearances in three seasons, his debut coming on 10 May 2002 in a 0–3 away loss against Deportivo de La Coruña. On 9 November 2003 he was taken out after just 25 minutes and an own goal, in an eventual 1–4 defeat at Sevilla FC;[1] he finished the 2003–04 campaign on loan, to German club Borussia Mönchengladbach.

After a loan period with Albacete Balompié in 2004–05,[2] with the Castile-La Mancha side finishing dead last in the top flight, Rubén returned to Real Madrid, spending the next season with the B-team in Segunda División. In the 2006–07 campaign he finally developed as a top level player, with Racing de Santander, helping the Cantabrians finish tenth while scoring his first goals in the category in consecutive 2–1 wins, at RCD Mallorca and with Villarreal CF;[3] however, he returned the following year to division two, joining Celta de Vigo.

In late August 2009 Rubén signed with Mallorca, arriving for free in a 2+1 deal.[4] In his first season he played mostly as a backup, to starters José Nunes and Iván Ramis, but still managed to net twice, which resulted in four points away from home (2–1 win against Real Valladolid,[5] 1–1 draw against Real Zaragoza[6]); he added his third on 19 April 2010 – all came through headers from corner kicks – in a 2–0 home triumph against CA Osasuna,[7] as the Balearic Islands club finished fifth and qualified for the UEFA Europa League.

After one season with Baku FC in the Azerbaijan Premier League, Rubén signed a two-year contract with Zaragoza on 12 August 2014, arriving from the same team as countryman Mario.[8]

Honours

Club

Real Madrid

Country

Spain U16

References

  1. "FC Sevilla 4–1 Real Madrid". ESPN Soccernet. 9 November 2003. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  2. "Albacete recruit Rubén". UEFA.com. 20 July 2004. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  3. "Racing Santander 2–1 Villarreal". ESPN Soccernet. 20 December 2006. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  4. "El Mallorca contrata a Rubén González" [Mallorca signs Rubén González] (in Spanish). Mallorca's official website. 21 August 2009. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  5. "Mallorca return to form". ESPN Soccernet. 28 February 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  6. "Mallorca held". ESPN Soccernet. 14 April 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  7. "Mallorca's dream alive". ESPN Soccernet. 19 April 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2013.
  8. "Rubén González refuerza el centro de la defensa blanquilla" [Rubén González bolsters heart of blanquilla defense] (in Spanish). Zaragoza's official website. 12 August 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.

External links