Rubén Martínez (footballer, born 1984)

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Martínez and the second or maternal family name is Andrade.

Rubén Iván Martínez Andrade (born 22 June 1984), known simply as Rubén, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper.

Rubén

Rubén in 2017
Personal information
Full name	Rubén Iván Martínez Andrade[1]
Date of birth	(1984-06-22) 22 June 1984 (age 40)[1]
Place of birth	Coristanco, Spain
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1994–1996	Bergantiños
1996–1997	Orillamar
1997–2002	Barcelona
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2002–2004	Barcelona C	31	(0)
2002–2007	Barcelona B	97	(0)
2004–2008	Barcelona	2	(0)
2007–2008	→ Racing Ferrol (loan)	0	(0)
2008–2010	Cartagena	76	(0)
2010–2013	Málaga	11	(0)
2012–2013	→ Rayo Vallecano (loan)	30	(0)
2013–2014	Rayo Vallecano	34	(0)
2014–2015	Almería	23	(0)
2015–2016	Levante	15	(0)
2016–2018	Deportivo La Coruña	28	(0)
2017	→ Anderlecht (loan)	1	(0)
2018–2021	Osasuna	57	(0)
2021–2022	AEK Larnaca	2	(0)
International career
2002	Spain U20	1	(0)
2004	Spain U21	1	(0)
2005	Spain U23	2	(0)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Spain FIFA U-20 World Cup Runner-up 2003 United Arab Emirates
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14:49, 17 May 2022 (UTC)

Club career

Born in Coristanco, Galicia, Rubén moved to FC Barcelona's youth academy in 1997, and reached the club's reserves five years later.^[2] As Turkey's Rüştü Reçber went on loan in the 2004–05 season he was handed the role of third choice in the first team, behind Víctor Valdés and Albert Jorquera.

On 18 December 2004, Rubén entered the pitch for Xavi after Valdés' dismissal in a 1–1 away draw against Valencia CF,^[3] and kept his place for the subsequent 2–1 La Liga win over Levante UD.^[4] After some more years in the B squad and an unassuming Segunda División loan at Racing de Ferrol (no games played, eventual relegation),^[5] he was released by Barcelona, joining FC Cartagena in the Segunda División B and going on to be an undisputed starter during his spell, promoting in the first season and nearly repeating the feat in the second.^[6][7]

Rubén was sold to Málaga CF on 25 August 2010, for €1.35 million.^[8] He made his competitive debut on 23 September, keeping a clean sheet in a 2–0 victory at Getafe CF.^[9] However, in late December, he fractured his right wrist in training – his second major physical ailment whilst at the club – being sidelined for the rest of the campaign^[10][11] and prompting the Andalusians to sign another goalkeeper in the winter transfer window, as Sergio Asenjo also suffered a severe injury (knee).^[12]

After a series of bad performances upon his recovery and also due to the managerial change at Málaga, Rubén lost his position to Willy Caballero, being further demoted to third choice after the club signed Carlos Kameni in January 2012.^[13] He was loaned to fellow league side Rayo Vallecano for the 2012–13 season.^[14]

Rubén returned to the Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas on 23 July 2013, signing a permanent one-year contract.^[15] On 28 May of the following year, he moved to UD Almería in the same league on a one-year deal.^[16]

On 2 June 2015, after suffering relegation with the Andalusians, Rubén agreed to a three-year contract with Levante UD.^[17] After again dropping down a tier, he joined Deportivo de La Coruña after cutting ties with the former.^[18]

Rubén was loaned to Belgian club R.S.C. Anderlecht in late January 2017, as Davy Roef moved in the opposite direction also on loan.^[19][20] He played his first match on 16 February, in a 2–0 home defeat of FC Zenit Saint Petersburg in the round of 32 of the UEFA Europa League which was also his first ever appearance in European competition.^[21]

On 5 July 2018, Rubén signed with CA Osasuna of the second division.^[22] He made 35 appearances for the champions in his first season and, in the summer of 2020, after contributing 19 to a tenth-place finish, put pen to paper to a one-year extension.^[23]

On 9 July 2021, Rubén joined Cypriot First Division club AEK Larnaca FC on a one-year deal.^[24]

International career

Rubén won his only cap for the Spain under-21 team on 16 November 2004, replacing Asier Riesgo for the final 17 minutes of the 1–0 friendly win against England held in Alcalá de Henares.^[25]

Career statistics

As of match played 12 September 2021^[26]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Barcelona B	2002–03	Segunda División B	1	0	—		—		—		1	0
	2003–04	Segunda División B	10	0	—		—		—		10	0
	2004–05	Segunda División B	21	0	—		—		—		21	0
	2005–06	Segunda División B	33	0	—		—		—		33	0
	2006–07	Segunda División B	32	0	—		—		—		32	0
	Total		97	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	97	0
Barcelona	2004–05	La Liga	2	0	1	0	0	0	—		3	0
	2006–07	La Liga	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total		2	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
Racing Ferrol (loan)	2007–08	Segunda División	0	0	1	0	—		—		1	0
Cartagena	2008–09	Segunda División B	33	0	0	0	—		3[a]	0	36	0
	2009–10	Segunda División	40	0	0	0	—		—		40	0
	Total		73	0	1	0	0	0	3	0	77	0
Málaga	2010–11	La Liga	7	0	1	0	—		—		8	0
	2011–12	La Liga	4	0	0	0	—		—		4	0
	Total		11	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	12	0
Rayo Vallecano (loan)	2012–13	La Liga	30	0	1	0	—		—		31	0
Rayo Vallecano	2013–14	La Liga	34	0	1	0	—		—		35	0
	Total		64	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	66	0
Almería	2014–15	La Liga	23	0	0	0	—		—		23	0
Levante	2015–16	La Liga	15	0	0	0	—		—		15	0
Deportivo La Coruña	2016–17	La Liga	0	0	4	0	—		—		4	0
	2017–18	La Liga	28	0	0	0	—		—		28	0
	Total		28	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	32	0
Anderlecht (loan)	2016–17	Belgian First Division A	0	0	0	0	6[b]	0	1[c]	0	7	0
Osasuna	2018–19	Segunda División	35	0	0	0	—		—		35	0
	2019–20	La Liga	19	0	0	0	—		—		19	0
	2020–21	La Liga	3	0	1	0	—		—		4	0
	Total		57	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	58	0
AEK Larnaca	2021–22	Cypriot First Division	2	0	0	0	—		—		2	0
Career total			372	0	10	0	6	0	4	0	392	0

1. Appearance(s) in Promotion Playoffs
2. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
3. Appearance(s) in Championship play-offs

Honours

Barcelona

• La Liga: 2004–05^[26]

Anderlecht

• Belgian First Division A: 2016–17^[26]

Osasuna

• Segunda División: 2018–19^[27]

Spain U23

• Mediterranean Games: 2005

Spain U20

• FIFA U-20 World Cup runner-up: 2003

References

1. Rubén at AS.com (in Spanish)
2. Un clónico de Valdés para el marco culé (Valdés clone for culé goal); Diario AS, 21 December 2004 (in Spanish)
3. El Barça salva un punto con un penalti inexistente (Barça rescue one point with invented penalty); El Mundo, 18 December 2004 (in Spanish)
4. Eto'o fulmina a un Levante que no mereció perder (Eto'o obliterates Levante that did not deserve to lose); El Mundo, 21 December 2004 (in Spanish)
5. El portero Rubén Martínez medita dejar el Racing (Goalkeeper Rubén Martínez thinking of leaving Racing); La Opinión A Coruña, 20 December 2007 (in Spanish)
6. El portero ex racinguista Rubén Martínez fue clave en el ascenso del Cartagena a Segunda División (Former Racing goalkeeper Rubén Martínez was key in Cartagena promotion to Segunda División); La Voz de Galicia, 30 May 2009 (in Spanish)
7. El Cartagena deja en Huelva sus opciones de ascenso (Cartagena leave their options for promotion in Huelva); Marca, 13 June 2010 (in Spanish)
8. Rubén, octavo fichaje del Málaga 2010/11 (Rubén, eighth Málaga signing for 2010/11); Málaga CF, 31 August 2010 (in Spanish)
9. Away day joy for Malaga; ESPN Soccernet, 23 September 2010
10. Rubén estará entre dos y tres meses de baja tras romperse la muñeca (Rubén to miss two or three months after wrist fracture); Viva Fútbol, 1 January 2011 (in Spanish)
11. La maldición en la portería continúa... ahora Rubén (Goal curse continues... now Rubén); La Opinión de Málaga, 2 January 2011 (in Spanish)
12. El Málaga piensa en Caballero (Málaga thinking of Caballero); Diario Información, 9 January 2011 (in Spanish)
13. Jugará el tercer portero del Málaga debido a la expulsión de Kameni (Málaga's third goalkeeper will play after Kameni's ejection); El Diario Vasco, 14 April 2012 (in Spanish)
14. Málaga oficializa la cesión de Rubén Martínez al Rayo Vallecano (Málaga make Rubén Martínez loan to Rayo Vallecano official); Goal, 18 July 2012 (in Spanish)
15. Rubén regresa al Rayo (Rubén returns to Rayo); Marca, 23 July 2013 (in Spanish)
16. Rubén, portero procedente del Rayo Vallecano, ficha por el Almería (Rubén, goalkeeper from Rayo Vallecano, signs for Almería); UD Almería, 28 May 2014 (in Spanish)
17. El Levante UD llega a un principio de acuerdo con el portero Rubén Martínez (Levante UD reach agreement in principle with goalkeeper Rubén Martínez); Levante UD, 2 June 2015 (in Spanish)
18. Rubén Martínez, nuevo portero del Deportivo (Rubén Martínez, new goalkeeper of Deportivo); Mundo Deportivo, 2 July 2016 (in Spanish)
19. Oficial: Davy Roef in, Rubén Martínez out, intercambio de cromos en las porterías de Dépor y Anderletch [sic] (Official: Davy Roef in, Rubén Martínez out, exchange of cards in Dépor and Anderlecht's goals); Tercer Equipo, 24 January 2017 (in Spanish)
20. Rubén Martínez Andrade to RSCA, Davy Roef to La Coruña; RSC Anderlecht, 25 January 2017
21. RSCA convincingly beat Zenit (2–0); RSC Anderlecht, 16 February 2017
22. Osasuna refuerza su portería con Rubén Martínez (Osasuna bolster their goal with Rubén Martínez); CA Osasuna, 5 July 2018 (in Spanish)
23. Osasuna amplía su vinculación con Rubén hasta el 2021 (Osasuna extend link with Rubén until 2021); CA Osasuna, 20 July 2020 (in Spanish)
24. Rubén Martínez ficha por el AEK Larnaca tras dejar Osasuna (Rubén Martínez signs for AEK Larnaca after leaving Osasuna); Diario de Navarra, 9 June 2021 (in Spanish)
25. Inglaterra se rinde al talento de Iniesta y Cesc (England take a bow to talent of Iniesta and Cesc); El Mundo, 16 November 2004 (in Spanish)
26. Rubén at Soccerway
27. Los goles del Osasuna campeón (The goals of champions Osasuna); Marca, 18 June 2019 (in Spanish)

External links

• Rubén at BDFutbol
• Rubén at Futbolme (in Spanish)