Hierro
| Date of birth | 23 March 1968 |
| Place of birth | Velez-Malaga |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Weight | 84 kg |
| Height | 1.87 m |
| Position | Defender |
Full name is: Fernando Ruiz Hierro.
His early professional career was spent with Real Vallodolid before he joined Real Madrid in 1989 and he won his first cap in September 1989 against Poland and he has been almost a permanent fixture ever since. He has been a key figure in the Madrid set up, appearing in almost 400 Primera Liga games and gaining European Cup winners' medals in 1998 and 2000. He was a non-playing substitute in the 1990 World Cup Finals but played in two World Cup Final Competitions (1994 and 1998) and the two European Championship Finals (1996 and 2000) in the centre of midfield. He has recently been moved back to the centre of defence which many observers regard as his best position.
The veteran central defender is known for his accurate passing and powerful free kicks and despite his age Fernando continues to be of immense value to the national team and will be Spain's captain at the World Cup finals. As ever, he led by example - converting the late penalties that secured the 3-1 wins in their opening two games against Slovenia and Paraguay to extend his record as the country's record scorer. His international career ended in selection for FIFA's All-Star squad.
After a year in Qatar, he joined Bolton Wanderers in July 2004 with a one-year contract but was made available for transfer in January 2005.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valladolid | 01 Jul 1987 | 01 Jul 1989 | |
| Real Madrid | 01 Jul 1989 | 30 Jun 2003 | |
| Al Rayyan Sports Club | 01 Jul 2003 | 30 Jun 2004 | |
| Bolton Wanderers | 28 Jul 2004 | 30 Jun 2005 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-97 | Rest of the World | Representative | 1 | ||||
| 1997-98 | Europe | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 1997-98 | FIFA | Representative | 1 | ||||
| 1998-99 | Real Madrid | UEFA Super Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1998-99 | World XI | FIGC Centenary | 1 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Real Madrid | Primera Liga | 28 | 1 |
5 |
11
|
1
|
| 2000-01 | Real Madrid | UEFA Champions League | 11 | 1 |
1 |
3
|
|
| 2001-02 | Real Madrid | Primera Liga | 30 | 5 |
15
|
||
| 2001-02 | Real Madrid | UEFA Champions League | 14 |
1
|
|||
| 2002-03 | Real Madrid | Primera Liga | 25 |
9
|
|||
| 2002-03 | Real Madrid | UEFA Champions League | 10 |
2
|
|||
| 2004-05 | Bolton Wanderers | FA Cup | 4 |
1
|
|||
| 2004-05 | Bolton Wanderers | League Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2004-05 | Bolton Wanderers | Premier League | 15 | 14 |
1 |
3
|
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03 Jul 1997 | FIFA v Asian XI | W | 3-1 | Representative | |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-90 | Spain | FIFA World Cup | 1 |
||||
| 1989-90 | Spain | International Friendly | 1 |
||||
| 1989-90 | Spain | UEFA Under-21 | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 1990-91 | Spain | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 1990-91 | Spain | UEFA European Championship | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1991-92 | Spain | FIFA World Cup | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1991-92 | Spain | International Friendly | 3 | 2 |
|||
| 1991-92 | Spain | UEFA European Championship | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 1992-93 | Spain | FIFA World Cup | 4 | 1 |
|||
| 1993-94 | Spain | FIFA World Cup | 6 | 2 |
2 |
1
|
|
| 1993-94 | Spain | International Friendly | 4 | 1 |
|||
| 1994-95 | Spain | International Friendly | 3 |
1
|
|||
| 1994-95 | Spain | UEFA European Championship | 5 | 2 |
|||
| 1995-96 | Spain | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 1995-96 | Spain | UEFA European Championship | 6 | 2 |
|||
| 1996-97 | Spain | FIFA World Cup | 6 | 4 |
|||
| 1997-98 | Spain | FIFA World Cup | 5 | 2 |
|||
| 1997-98 | Spain | International Friendly | 2 | ||||
| 1998-99 | Spain | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
1
|
||
| 1998-99 | Spain | UEFA European Championship | 4 | 3 |
1
|
||
| 1999-00 | Spain | International Friendly | 3 | 1 |
1
|
||
| 1999-00 | Spain | UEFA European Championship | 5 | 2 |
|||
| 2000-01 | Spain | FIFA World Cup | 5 | 3 |
|||
| 2000-01 | Spain | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
1
|
1
|
|
| 2001-02 | Spain | FIFA World Cup | 6 | 2 |
1
|
||
| 2001-02 | Spain | International Friendly | 3 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Sep 1989 | Spain v Poland | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 11 Oct 1989 | Hungary v Spain | D | 2-2 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 14 Nov 1989 | Spain v Hungary | W | 1-0 | UEFA U21 | Group 6 |
| 21 Feb 1990 | Italy v Spain | L | 3-1 | UEFA U21 | Quarter-final |
| 29 Mar 1990 | Spain v Italy | W | 1-0 | UEFA U21 | Quarter-final |
| 19 Dec 1990 | Spain v Albania | W | 9-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 1 |
| 16 Jan 1991 | Spain v Portugal | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 25 Sep 1991 | Iceland v Spain | L | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 1 |
| 12 Oct 1991 | Spain v France | L | 1-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 1 |
| 13 Nov 1991 | Spain v Czechoslovakia | W | 2-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 1 |
| 15 Jan 1992 | Portugal v Spain | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 19 Feb 1992 | Spain v C.I.S. | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 11 Mar 1992 | Spain v USA | W | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 22 Apr 1992 | Spain v Albania | W | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 14 Oct 1992 | Northern Ireland v Spain | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 18 Nov 1992 | Spain v Republic of Ireland | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 28 Apr 1993 | Spain v Northern Ireland | W | 3-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 02 Jun 1993 | Lithuania v Spain | W | 0-2 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 08 Sep 1993 | Spain v Chile | W | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 22 Sep 1993 | Albania v Spain | W | 1-5 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 13 Oct 1993 | Republic of Ireland v Spain | W | 1-3 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 17 Nov 1993 | Spain v Denmark | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 3 |
| 19 Jan 1994 | Spain v Portugal | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 09 Feb 1994 | Spain v Poland | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 23 Mar 1994 | Spain v Croatia | L | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Jun 1994 | Finland v Spain | W | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Jun 1994 | Spain v Korea Republic | D | 2-2 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group C |
| 21 Jun 1994 | Germany v Spain | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group C |
| 27 Jun 1994 | Bolivia v Spain | W | 1-3 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group C |
| 02 Jul 1994 | Spain v Switzerland | W | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals 2nd round |
| 09 Jul 1994 | Italy v Spain | L | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals quarter-final final |
| 07 Sep 1994 | Cyprus v Spain | W | 1-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 2 |
| 12 Oct 1994 | North Macedonia v Spain | W | 0-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 2 |
| 30 Nov 1994 | Spain v Finland | W | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Dec 1994 | Belgium v Spain | W | 1-4 | UEFA European Championship | Group 2 |
| 18 Jan 1995 | Spain v Uruguay | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 22 Feb 1995 | Spain v Germany | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 29 Mar 1995 | Spain v Belgium | D | 1-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 2 |
| 07 Jun 1995 | Spain v Armenia | W | 1-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 2 |
| 06 Sep 1995 | Spain v Cyprus | W | 6-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 2 |
| 20 Sep 1995 | Spain v Argentina | W | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 11 Oct 1995 | Denmark v Spain | D | 1-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 2 |
| 07 Feb 1996 | Spain v Norway | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 24 Apr 1996 | Norway v Spain | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 09 Jun 1996 | Spain v Bulgaria | D | 1-1 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group B |
| 15 Jun 1996 | France v Spain | D | 1-1 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group B |
| 18 Jun 1996 | Romania v Spain | W | 1-2 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group B |
| 22 Jun 1996 | England v Spain | L | 0-0 (2-4) | UEFA European Championship | Finals quarter-final |
| 04 Sep 1996 | Faroe Islands v Spain | W | 2-6 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 09 Oct 1996 | Czech Republic v Spain | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 13 Nov 1996 | Spain v Slovakia | W | 4-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 12 Feb 1997 | Spain v Malta | W | 4-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 4 |
| 30 Apr 1997 | Yugoslavia v Spain | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 08 Jun 1997 | Spain v Czech Republic | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 24 Sep 1997 | Slovakia v Spain | W | 1-2 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 11 Oct 1997 | Spain v Faroe Islands | W | 3-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 6 |
| 19 Nov 1997 | Spain v Romania | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 25 Mar 1998 | Spain v Sweden | W | 4-0 | International Friendly | |
| 13 Jun 1998 | Spain v Nigeria | L | 2-3 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group D |
| 19 Jun 1998 | Spain v Paraguay | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group D |
| 24 Jun 1998 | Spain v Bulgaria | W | 6-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group D |
| 05 Sep 1998 | Cyprus v Spain | L | 3-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 6 |
| 23 Sep 1998 | Spain v Russia | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 14 Oct 1998 | Israel v Spain | W | 1-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 6 |
| 27 Mar 1999 | Spain v Austria | W | 9-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 6 |
| 05 May 1999 | Spain v Croatia | W | 3-1 | International Friendly | |
| 05 Jun 1999 | Spain v San Marino | W | 9-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 6 |
| 04 Sep 1999 | Austria v Spain | W | 1-3 | UEFA European Championship | Group 6 |
| 08 Sep 1999 | Spain v Cyprus | W | 8-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 6 |
| 10 Oct 1999 | Spain v Israel | W | 3-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 6 |
| 26 Jan 2000 | Spain v Poland | W | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 23 Feb 2000 | Croatia v Spain | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Jun 2000 | Sweden v Spain | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 07 Jun 2000 | Luxembourg v Spain | W | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 13 Jun 2000 | Spain v Norway | L | 0-1 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group C |
| 18 Jun 2000 | Slovenia v Spain | W | 1-2 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group C |
| 07 Oct 2000 | Spain v Israel | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 7 |
| 11 Oct 2000 | Austria v Spain | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 7 |
| 15 Nov 2000 | Spain v Netherlands | L | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 24 Mar 2001 | Spain v Liechtenstein | W | 5-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 7 |
| 28 Mar 2001 | Spain v France | W | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Jun 2001 | Spain v Bosnia and Herzegovina | W | 4-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 7 |
| 06 Jun 2001 | Israel v Spain | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 7 |
| 01 Sep 2001 | Spain v Austria | W | 4-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 7 |
| 05 Sep 2001 | Liechtenstein v Spain | W | 0-2 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 7 |
| 14 Nov 2001 | Spain v Mexico | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 27 Mar 2002 | Netherlands v Spain | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Apr 2002 | Northern Ireland v Spain | W | 0-5 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Jun 2002 | Spain v Slovenia | W | 3-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group B |
| 07 Jun 2002 | Spain v Paraguay | W | 3-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group B |
| 16 Jun 2002 | Spain v Republic of Ireland | W | 1-1 (3-2) | FIFA World Cup | Finals 2nd round |
| 22 Jun 2002 | Korea Republic v Spain | L | 0-0 (3-5) | FIFA World Cup | Finals quarter-final |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.