Ángel López

Ángel

Personal information
Full name	Ángel Domingo López Ruano
Date of birth	10 March 1981 (1981-03-10)
Place of birth	Las Palmas, Spain
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position	Defender / Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Villarreal
Number	6
Youth career
	Las Palmas
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1998–2000	Las Palmas B
2000–2003	Las Palmas	82	(1)
2003–2007	Celta	159	(6)
2007–	Villarreal	89	(1)
National team
2001–2003	Spain U21	14	(0)
2006–2008	Spain	5	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15 January 2012. † Appearances (Goals).

This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is López and the second or maternal family name is Ruano.

Ángel Domingo López Ruano, simply Ángel (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈaŋxel ˈlopes]; born 10 March 1981 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands), is a Spanish footballer who plays for Villarreal CF. An offensive right back, he can also operate as a midfielder.

Club career

After first appearing professionally with hometown UD Las Palmas, playing 64 La Liga contests from 2000–2002 (32 in each season), Ángel made a name for himself as a stamina-filled wingback at fellow first-divisioner Celta de Vigo, joining the Galician outfit in the 2003 January transfer window. He appeared in 15 league during the second part of the season, as Celta achieved a UEFA Champions League qualification spot. However, with Ángel as first-choice, they would be relegated in 2003–04.

On the last day of 2007–08's summer transfer deadline, Ángel joined Villarreal CF. During the season where the team dubbed the Yellow Submarine achieved a best-ever runner-up league position, he split right-back duties with veteran Javi Venta, a situation which again befell in 2008–09 (22 matches for Venta, 21 for López).

In the 2009–10 season, Ángel again battled with Venta for first-choice duties; on 4 April 2010, he scored his first goal for Villarreal, shooting from 30 yards to open the score at Real Valladolid (2–0 win).

After Venta's departure to Levante UD, Ángel was the undisputed first-choice right-back for Villarreal. On 9 January 2011, however, during a 2–4 away loss against Real Madrid, he suffered a severe injury in his left knee - anterior cruciate ligament - being sidelined for the next six months.

International career

Ángel made his international debut for the Spanish national team in a 0–1 friendly defeat with Romania in Cádiz, on 15 November 2006.

External links

• Villarreal official profile
• BDFutbol profile
• National team data (Spanish)
• Transfermarkt profile