Ricardo Villa

This article is about the football player and coach. For the composer, see Ricardo Villa (composer).

Ricardo Villa

Ricardo Villa in 1981
Personal information
Full name	Ricardo Julio Villa
Date of birth	(1952-08-18) 18 August 1952
Place of birth	Roque Pérez, Argentina
Position(s)	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1970–1974	Quilmes	108	(20)
1973	→San Martín de Tucumán (loan)	10	(3)
1974–1976	Atlético de Tucumán	51	(19)
1976–1978	Racing Club	52	(6)
1978–1983	Tottenham Hotspur	133	(18)
1983	Fort Lauderdale Strikers	19	(3)
1984–1985	Deportivo Cali	0	(0)
1986–1989	Defensa y Justicia	93	(4)
Total		466	(73)
International career
1975–1978	Argentina	25	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ricardo Julio "Ricky" Villa (locally [riˈkarðo ˈβiʃa]; born 18 August 1952 in Roque Pérez, Buenos Aires) is an Argentine football coach and former professional midfielder.

Career

In the 1970s he played successively for Quilmes, Atlético de Tucumán and Racing Club. At the 1978 FIFA World Cup, he was a member of the Argentinian team that won the tournament and made two appearances as a substitute in the second round. Afterwards, he was snapped up by Tottenham Hotspur's Keith Burkinshaw together with Ossie Ardiles.

Arriving to a ticker tape welcome at White Hart Lane, Villa scored one goal against Nottingham Forest on his debut. Villa scored 18 goals in 133 Spurs appearances, none more spectacular than his winning goal against Manchester City in the FA Cup Final replay in 1981 – for which he won the Wembley goal of the century award in 2001. He had also opened the scoring in the 8th minute of that final replay. Today, Spurs fans recall Ricky's unique contribution wearing t-shirts with his hirsute visage morphed into Che Guevara's.

Villa played on in Argentina, Colombia and the United States before ending his career in the lower leagues of Argentine football with Defensa y Justicia.

Villa also represented Argentina in the 1991 edition of the World Cup of Masters, scoring in the opening round against England.

He dedicated himself to politics during the 1990s, but since July 2005 has been the technical secretary of Talleres de Córdoba. He resides in Villa Carlos Paz with his wife and four children. As of November 2007, it was announced by FIFA that all members of winning World Cup squads prior to 1982 would receive World Cup winners medals and this includes Villa as part of the 1978 World Cup winning squad.

On 7 February 2008, Villa along with his compatriot Ossie Ardiles was inducted into the Tottenham Hotspur Hall of Fame.

Honours

• World Cup Winner 1978
• FA Cup Winner 1981