| Ricardo | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ricardo López Felipe | |
| Date of birth | December 31 1971 | |
| Place of birth | Madrid, Spain | |
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 11⁄2 in) | |
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | CA Osasuna | |
| Number | 13 | |
| Youth clubs | ||
| 1992–1995 | Atlético Madrid B | |
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 1995–1998 1998–2002 2002–2005 2003–2004 2005– |
Atlético Madrid Real Valladolid Manchester United → Racing (loan) Osasuna |
36 (0) 53 (0) 1 (0) 34 (0) 66 (0) |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
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Ricardo López Felipe, known as Ricardo, (born 31 December 1971 in Madrid) is a Spanish footballer who currently plays for CA Osasuna in La Liga.
Contents |
Career
Ricardo, who plays as a goalkeeper, began his playing career at Atlético Madrid, working his way through the junior team and going on to represent the senior squad until 1998, when he was transferred to Real Valladolid. Ricardo spent four seasons at the club, eventually becoming the club's first-choice goalkeeper. He was also selected as a member of the Spanish squad for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, though he did not play in the finals.
At Manchester United
On 30 August 2002 Ricardo was signed up by English superpower club Manchester United in a three-year deal worth £1.5 million. Ricardo expressed his delight at the signing by saying:
"As a child I followed the English league and I believe at the moment it is the best league in the world. As a footballer you always try and get to the top and be the best and I think I have arrived at one of the best clubs in the world."[1]
Signed to provide adequate cover for the then injured Fabien Barthez and the inexperienced Roy Carroll, Ricardo found first-team opportunities rare, only appearing in four UEFA Champions League matches and only once in the FA Premier League. During that league debut against Blackburn Rovers, his first touch conceded a penalty but he made up for his error immediately by parrying the spot kick away. Despite this, Ricardo did not get to make another appearance in the first-team.
Back to Spain
On 23 August 2003, Ricardo agreed to a loan transfer to Racing Santander for the 2003-04 season. The deal included an option to make transfer permanent the following June. On his return to Spain, Ricardo was quoted in the Spanish sports daily AS as saying:
"It's not a backward step. When I received the offer I was delighted to have the chance to return to Spain. I missed the Spanish league ... All I feel is gratitude toward Manchester. The club treated me very well. It was a lovely experience which was well worth it."[2]
After that fairly successful stint in La Liga, Ricardo returned to Manchester United and proclaimed his ambition to take the number one jersey from Barthez. However, he was never picked for the first team following the arrival of Tim Howard and the signing of goalkeeping understudy Roy Carroll. He was eventually released by the club on a free transfer at the end of the 2004-05 season. Since then, he has been the first-choice goalkeeper for Spanish Primera División side Osasuna, making 66 league appearances over the last two seasons. He also helped the team reach the semifinals of the UEFA Cup in the 2006-07 season, making 12 appearances in the competition.
References
- ^ Player Profile, 4THEGAME.com
- ^ "United keeper Ricardo says move to Santander is no step down", Sports Illustrated, 24 August 2003.
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1 Elía • 2 Izquierdo • 3 Monreal • 4 M. Flaño • 5 X. Margairaz • 6 Plašil • 7 Cruchaga • 8 Font • 9 Portillo • 10 Puñal • 11 Pandiani • 12 Juanfran • 13 Ricardo • 14 Josetxo • 15 I. Garde • 16 Nekounam • 17 J. Flaño • 18 Dady • 19 Corrales • 20 H. Viana • 21 C. Vela • 21 Kike Sola • 23 Delporte • 24 I. Erice • 25 Javi García • 26 Andrés • 40 Azpilicueta • Coach: Ziganda |
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| 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 |
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