Fernando Hierro

Fernando Ruiz Hierro (; born 23 March 1968) is a retired Spanish footballer. He is mostly known for his spells with Real Madrid and Spain, appearing in more than 500 official games with the former and representing the latter on nearly 100 occasions, whilst appearing in four World Cups and two European Championships.

Equally at ease as a central defender or defensive midfielder, he had the ability, at his peak, to combine solid defensive play with a near-unlimited passing range and surprising goalscoring talent, which made him one of the world's most sought-after players. For the Merengues, he won five La Liga and three UEFA Champions League trophies, over the course of nearly 15 years.

Club career

Hierro was born in Vélez-Málaga, Province of Málaga. After beginning his football career at local club Vélez-Málaga, he had a very brief youth spell with neighbouring CD Málaga, where he was told he was not good enough for the sport, which prompted a return back home. He eventually made his La Liga debuts with Real Valladolid, being bought by Real Madrid after two solid seasons.

At Real, Hierro scored seven goals in 37 contests in his first season, and eventually had his position on the field advanced, by then coach Radomir Antić, continuing his good performances with the addition of goals - in three seasons combined, he scored an astonishing 44 league goals, 21 alone in 1991–92, a career-best....
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