Carlos Ruiz Herrero

Carlos Ruiz Herrero (born 7 June 1948) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a forward.
He spent 11 seasons in La Liga with Athletic Bilbao, appearing in 275 competitive games and scoring 115 goals.

Club career

Born in Bilbao, Biscay, Ruiz played during 11 seasons with Athletic Bilbao, plus one in the reserves, having been signed in 1969 from Basque neighbours CD Getxo. On 12 September 1970 he made his debut for the first team, playing the dying minutes of the 1–1 home draw against FC Barcelona.

In the following years Ruiz continued to be used regularly by the club, although he was not always an undisputed starter. In the 1974–75 season, however, he scored a career-best 19 goals in 32 games (winning the Pichichi Trophy in the process), for a tenth place in La Liga; on 18 May 1977 he netted the 2–1 at home against Juventus FC in the campaign's UEFA Cup final – scoring a total of five during the side's continental run – but the Italians won it on the away goals rule.

Ruiz still enjoyed two seasons in double digits until he left Athletic (including 1977–78, with 16 goals), but also dealt with several injuries. He eventually retired from the game in the 1982 summer at the age of 34, after a spell with RCD Español, amassing top flight totals of 234 matches and 83 goals.

International career

Ruiz was never capped by Spain at senior level, but did play for the under-21 side once. It was in a match against Yugoslavia played in Elche, at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero.

Honours

Club

• Copa del Generalísimo: 1972–73; Runner-up 1976–77
• UEFA Cup: Runner-up 1976–77

Individual

• La Liga: Top scorer 1974–75