Ulises de la Cruz
| Date of birth | 08 August 1974 |
| Place of birth | Piqulucho |
| Nationality | Ecuadorean |
| Weight | 80 kg |
| Height | 1.80 m |
| Position | Defender/Midfielder |
De la Cruz became Hibernians' record signing when he joined the Edinburgh club in a £750,000 deal.
A fast and energetic right-back, he is capable of moving forward to crack home a spectacular goal - notably a 35-yard scorcher against Brazil in the Maracana during the 2002 World Cup qualifier.
De la Cruz was Ecuador's only ever-present during their successful campaign for Japan and South Korea, and has over 80 caps to his name.
Once dubbed the next Pele, a comparison to Roberto Carlos is probably closer to the mark.
After appearing in all three of his nations World Cup finals matches, he was persuaded to join Aston Villa in the summer of 2002. His contract was extended to June 2006 in August 2004.
De la Cruz joined Reading in August 2006 with a one-year contract that was extended to June 2008 in June 2007.
He joined Birmingham City in March 2009 on a monthly contract.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liga Deportiva Universitaria | 01 Jul 1999 | 18 Jun 2001 | |
| Hibernian | 18 Jun 2001 | 02 Aug 2002 | |
| Aston Villa | 02 Aug 2002 | 30 Jun 2006 | |
| Reading | 25 Aug 2006 | 30 Jun 2008 | |
| Watford | 25 Jul 2008 | 02 Aug 2008 | T |
| Coventry City | 08 Sep 2008 | 12 Sep 2008 | T |
| Birmingham City | 03 Mar 2009 | 30 Jun 2009 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-02 | Hibernian | Scottish FA Cup | 2 | 1 |
1
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| 2001-02 | Hibernian | Scottish League Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Hibernian | Scottish Premier League | 25 | 7 |
2 |
1
|
|
| 2001-02 | Hibernian | UEFA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Aston Villa | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2002-03 | Aston Villa | League Cup | 2 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 2002-03 | Aston Villa | Premier League | 12 | 8 |
1 |
2
|
|
| 2003-04 | Aston Villa | FA Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Aston Villa | League Cup | 3 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Aston Villa | Premier League | 20 | 8 |
2
|
||
| 2004-05 | Aston Villa | League Cup | 1 | ||||
| 2004-05 | Aston Villa | Premier League | 30 | 4 |
2
|
||
| 2005-06 | Aston Villa | League Cup | 1 |
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| 2005-06 | Aston Villa | Premier League | 4 | 3 |
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| 2006-07 | Reading | FA Cup | 4 |
1
|
|||
| 2006-07 | Reading | League Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2006-07 | Reading | Premier League | 9 | 1 |
|||
| 2007-08 | Reading | FA Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2007-08 | Reading | League Cup | 2 | ||||
| 2007-08 | Reading | Premier League | 3 | 3 |
2
|
||
| 2008-09 | Birmingham City | League Championship | 1 |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Sep 2006 | Reading v Darlington | W | 3-3 (4-2) | League Cup | 2nd round |
| 01 Oct 2006 | West Ham United v Reading | W | 0-1 | Premier League | |
| 22 Oct 2006 | Reading v Arsenal | L | 0-4 | Premier League | |
| 25 Oct 2006 | Liverpool v Reading | L | 4-3 | League Cup | 3rd round |
| 09 Jan 2007 | Reading v Burnley | W | 3-2 | FA Cup | 3rd round |
| 14 Jan 2007 | Everton v Reading | D | 1-1 | Premier League | |
| 20 Jan 2007 | Reading v Sheffield United | W | 3-1 | Premier League | |
| 27 Jan 2007 | Birmingham City v Reading | W | 2-3 | FA Cup | 4th round |
| 17 Feb 2007 | Manchester United v Reading | D | 1-1 | FA Cup | 5th round |
| 27 Feb 2007 | Reading v Manchester United | L | 2-3 | FA Cup | 5th round replay |
| 09 Apr 2007 | Charlton Athletic v Reading | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 14 Apr 2007 | Reading v Fulham | W | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 21 Apr 2007 | Bolton Wanderers v Reading | W | 1-3 | Premier League | |
| 30 Apr 2007 | Reading v Newcastle United | W | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 13 May 2007 | Blackburn Rovers v Reading | D | 3-3 | Premier League | |
| 12 Aug 2007 | Manchester United v Reading | D | 0-0 | Premier League | |
| 18 Aug 2007 | Reading v Everton | W | 1-0 | Premier League | |
| 25 Aug 2007 | Bolton Wanderers v Reading | L | 3-0 | Premier League | |
| 28 Aug 2007 | Swansea City v Reading | W | 0-1 | League Cup | 2nd round |
| 25 Sep 2007 | Reading v Liverpool | L | 2-4 | League Cup | 3rd round |
| 29 Dec 2007 | Tottenham Hotspur v Reading | L | 6-4 | Premier League | |
| 01 Jan 2008 | Reading v Portsmouth | L | 0-2 | Premier League | |
| 05 Jan 2008 | Tottenham Hotspur v Reading | D | 2-2 | FA Cup | 3rd round |
| 12 Jan 2008 | Aston Villa v Reading | L | 3-1 | Premier League | |
| 15 Jan 2008 | Reading v Tottenham Hotspur | L | 0-1 | FA Cup | 3rd round replay |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | Ecuador | South America Youth Championship | 1 | ||||
| 1992-93 | Ecuador | South American Youth Championship | 5 | ||||
| 1994-95 | Ecuador | Kirin Japan Cup | 1 |
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| 1994-95 | Ecuador | Korea Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1995-96 | Ecuador | Olympics | 4 | ||||
| 1996-97 | Ecuador | Copa America | 3 | ||||
| 1996-97 | Ecuador | FIFA World Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1996-97 | Ecuador | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
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| 1997-98 | Ecuador | FIFA World Cup | 3 | ||||
| 1997-98 | Ecuador | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 1998-99 | Ecuador | Canada Cup | 3 | ||||
| 1998-99 | Ecuador | Copa America | 3 | ||||
| 1998-99 | Ecuador | International Friendly | 6 | 1 |
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| 1999-00 | Ecuador | FIFA World Cup | 4 | 1 |
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| 1999-00 | Ecuador | International Friendly | 1 | 1 |
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| 2000-01 | Ecuador | FIFA World Cup | 9 | ||||
| 2000-01 | Ecuador | International Friendly | 2 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Ecuador | Copa America | 3 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Ecuador | FIFA World Cup | 8 | 1 |
2
|
||
| 2001-02 | Ecuador | International Friendly | 4 | 1 |
|||
| 2002-03 | Ecuador | International Friendly | 4 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Ecuador | Copa America | 3 | ||||
| 2003-04 | Ecuador | FIFA World Cup | 7 | 1 |
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| 2004-05 | Ecuador | FIFA World Cup | 7 | 1 |
|||
| 2004-05 | Ecuador | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 2005-06 | Ecuador | FIFA World Cup | 6 | 1 |
2
|
||
| 2005-06 | Ecuador | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 2006-07 | Ecuador | Copa America | 2 |
1
|
|||
| 2006-07 | Ecuador | International Friendly | 5 | 1 |
1 |
1
|
|
| 2007-08 | Ecuador | FIFA World Cup | 2 | 1 |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Aug 1992 | Paraguay v Ecuador | W | 0-1 | SAYC | |
| 21 Aug 1992 | Brazil v Ecuador | L | 2-0 | South American Youth Championship | |
| 23 Aug 1992 | Ecuador v Bolivia | W | 4-1 | South American Youth Championship | |
| 26 Aug 1992 | Colombia v Ecuador | D | 0-0 | South American Youth Championship | |
| 28 Aug 1992 | Brazil v Ecuador | L | 2-0 | South American Youth Championship | |
| 30 Aug 1992 | Uruguay v Ecuador | L | 3-1 | South American Youth Championship | |
| 28 May 1995 | Japan v Ecuador | L | 3-0 | KIRIN JAPAN CUP | |
| 04 Jun 1995 | Ecuador v Zambia | W | 4-1 | KOREA CUP | |
| 18 Feb 1996 | Argentina v Ecuador | L | 6-0 | Olympics | South America group B |
| 20 Feb 1996 | Colombia v Ecuador | D | 3-3 | Olympics | South America group B |
| 22 Feb 1996 | Chile v Ecuador | L | 4-0 | Olympics | South America group B |
| 24 Feb 1996 | Venezuela v Ecuador | L | 5-2 | Olympics | South America group B |
| 25 Mar 1997 | Guatemala v Ecuador | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 28 May 1997 | El Salvador v Ecuador | W | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 08 Jun 1997 | Ecuador v Chile | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | CONMEBOL South American qualifier |
| 14 Jun 1997 | Paraguay v Ecuador | W | 0-2 | Copa America | Group A |
| 17 Jun 1997 | Ecuador v Chile | W | 2-1 | Copa America | Group A |
| 22 Jun 1997 | Ecuador v Mexico | L | 1-1 (3-4) | Copa America | Quarter-final |
| 07 Aug 1997 | USA v Ecuador | W | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 20 Aug 1997 | Ecuador v Paraguay | W | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | CONMEBOL South American qualifier |
| 12 Oct 1997 | Ecuador v Bolivia | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | CONMEBOL South American qualifier |
| 16 Nov 1997 | Uruguay v Ecuador | L | 5-3 | FIFA World Cup | CONMEBOL South American qualifier |
| 14 Oct 1998 | Brazil v Ecuador | L | 5-1 | International Friendly | |
| 28 Jan 1999 | Costa Rica v Ecuador | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 10 Feb 1999 | Peru v Ecuador | W | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 19 May 1999 | Venezuela v Ecuador | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Jun 1999 | Iran v Ecuador | D | 1-1 | Canada Cup | |
| 04 Jun 1999 | Ecuador v Guatemala | W | 3-1 | CANADA CUP | |
| 06 Jun 1999 | Canada v Ecuador | W | 1-2 | CANADA CUP | |
| 15 Jun 1999 | Venezuela v Ecuador | L | 3-2 | International Friendly | |
| 23 Jun 1999 | Chile v Ecuador | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 01 Jul 1999 | Argentina v Ecuador | L | 3-1 | Copa America | Group C |
| 04 Jul 1999 | Uruguay v Ecuador | L | 2-1 | Copa America | Group C |
| 07 Jul 1999 | Colombia v Ecuador | L | 2-1 | Copa America | Group C |
| 08 Mar 2000 | Ecuador v Honduras | L | 1-3 | International Friendly | |
| 29 Mar 2000 | Ecuador v Venezuela | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | CONMEBOL South American qualifier |
| 26 Apr 2000 | Brazil v Ecuador | L | 3-2 | FIFA World Cup | CONMEBOL South American qualifier |
| 03 Jun 2000 | Paraguay v Ecuador | L | 3-1 | FIFA World Cup | CONMEBOL South American qualifier |
| 25 Jun 2000 | Ecuador v Panama | W | 6-0 | International Friendly | |
| 29 Jun 2000 | Ecuador v Peru | W | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | CONMEBOL South American qualifier |
| 19 Jul 2000 | Argentina v Ecuador | L | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | CONMEBOL South American qualifier |
| 25 Jul 2000 | Ecuador v Colombia | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | CONMEBOL South American qualifier |
| 11 Aug 2000 | Ecuador v Panama | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 16 Aug 2000 | Ecuador v Bolivia | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | CONMEBOL South American qualifier |
| 03 Sep 2000 | Uruguay v Ecuador | L | 4-0 | FIFA World Cup | CONMEBOL South American qualifier |
| 08 Oct 2000 | Ecuador v Chile | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | CONMEBOL South American qualifier |
| 15 Nov 2000 | Venezuela v Ecuador | W | 1-2 | FIFA World Cup | CONMEBOL South American qualifier |
| 28 Mar 2001 | Ecuador v Brazil | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | CONMEBOL South American qualifier |
| 24 Apr 2001 | Ecuador v Paraguay | W | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | CONMEBOL South American qualifier |
| 02 Jun 2001 | Peru v Ecuador | W | 1-2 | FIFA World Cup | CONMEBOL South American qualifier |
| 07 Jun 2001 | USA v Ecuador | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 11 Jul 2001 | Ecuador v Chile | L | 1-4 | Copa America | Group A |
| 14 Jul 2001 | Colombia v Ecuador | L | 1-0 | Copa America | Group A |
| 17 Jul 2001 | Ecuador v Venezuela | W | 4-0 | Copa America | Group A |
| 14 Aug 2001 | Ecuador v Argentina | L | 0-2 | FIFA World Cup | CONMEBOL South American qualifier |
| 05 Sep 2001 | Colombia v Ecuador | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | CONMEBOL South American qualifier |
| 06 Oct 2001 | Bolivia v Ecuador | W | 1-5 | FIFA World Cup | CONMEBOL South American qualifier |
| 07 Nov 2001 | Ecuador v Uruguay | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | CONMEBOL South American qualifier |
| 14 Nov 2001 | Chile v Ecuador | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | CONMEBOL South American qualifier |
| 12 Feb 2002 | Turkey v Ecuador | W | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 27 Mar 2002 | Ecuador v Bulgaria | W | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 18 Apr 2002 | South Africa v Ecuador | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 08 May 2002 | Ecuador v Yugoslavia | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 23 May 2002 | Ecuador v Senegal | L | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Jun 2002 | Italy v Ecuador | L | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group G |
| 09 Jun 2002 | Mexico v Ecuador | L | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group G |
| 13 Jun 2002 | Ecuador v Croatia | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group G |
| 21 Nov 2002 | Ecuador v Costa Rica | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 30 Apr 2003 | Spain v Ecuador | L | 4-0 | International Friendly | |
| 08 Jun 2003 | Colombia v Ecuador | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 11 Jun 2003 | Ecuador v Peru | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 06 Sep 2003 | Ecuador v Venezuela | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | South America |
| 10 Sep 2003 | Brazil v Ecuador | L | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | South America |
| 15 Nov 2003 | Paraguay v Ecuador | L | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | South America |
| 18 Nov 2003 | Ecuador v Peru | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | South America |
| 30 Mar 2004 | Argentina v Ecuador | L | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | South America |
| 02 Jun 2004 | Ecuador v Colombia | W | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | South America |
| 05 Jun 2004 | Ecuador v Bolivia | W | 3-2 | FIFA World Cup | South America |
| 07 Jul 2004 | Argentina v Ecuador | L | 6-1 | Copa America | Group B |
| 10 Jul 2004 | Uruguay v Ecuador | L | 2-1 | Copa America | Group B |
| 13 Jul 2004 | Mexico v Ecuador | L | 2-1 | Copa America | Group B |
| 05 Sep 2004 | Uruguay v Ecuador | L | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | South America |
| 10 Oct 2004 | Ecuador v Chile | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | South America |
| 17 Nov 2004 | Ecuador v Brazil | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | South America |
| 27 Mar 2005 | Ecuador v Paraguay | W | 5-2 | FIFA World Cup | South America |
| 30 Mar 2005 | Peru v Ecuador | D | 2-2 | FIFA World Cup | South America |
| 04 Jun 2005 | Ecuador v Argentina | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | South America |
| 08 Jun 2005 | Colombia v Ecuador | L | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | South America |
| 11 Jun 2005 | Ecuador v Italy | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Sep 2005 | Bolivia v Ecuador | W | 1-2 | FIFA World Cup | South America |
| 08 Oct 2005 | Ecuador v Uruguay | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | South America |
| 11 Oct 2005 | Chile v Ecuador | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | South America |
| 13 Nov 2005 | Ecuador v Poland | L | 0-3 | International Friendly | |
| 01 Mar 2006 | Netherlands v Ecuador | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 28 May 2006 | North Macedonia v Ecuador | L | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 09 Jun 2006 | Poland v Ecuador | W | 0-2 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group A |
| 15 Jun 2006 | Ecuador v Costa Rica | W | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group A |
| 20 Jun 2006 | Ecuador v Germany | L | 0-3 | FIFA World Cup | Finals Group A |
| 25 Jun 2006 | England v Ecuador | L | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals - Round of 16 |
| 10 Oct 2006 | Ecuador v Brazil | L | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 25 Mar 2007 | USA v Ecuador | L | 3-1 | International Friendly | |
| 28 Mar 2007 | Mexico v Ecuador | L | 4-2 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Jun 2007 | Ecuador v Peru | L | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 06 Jun 2007 | Ecuador v Peru | W | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 23 Jun 2007 | Colombia v Ecuador | L | 3-1 | International Friendly | |
| 27 Jun 2007 | Ecuador v Chile | L | 2-3 | Copa America | Group B |
| 01 Jul 2007 | Ecuador v Mexico | L | 1-2 | Copa America | Group B |
| 13 Oct 2007 | Ecuador v Venezuela | L | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | South America qualifying |
| 17 Oct 2007 | Brazil v Ecuador | L | 5-0 | FIFA World Cup | South America qualifying |
| 15 Jun 2008 | Argentina v Ecuador | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | South America qualifying |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.