Name:
Ricardo LOPEZ
Shirt Number: 19
Position: Goalkeeper
Date of Birth: December 31, 1971
Birthplace: Madrid, Spain
Transfer Fee: £1.5 million
Manchester United signed Ricardo from Real Valladolid
for £1.5million at the end of August 2002.
The player, who has one Spain cap to his name, was snapped up
by Sir Alex Ferguson to provide competition and back-up for number
one Fabien Barthez and squad member Roy Carroll.
Ricardo, who joined Spanish side Valladolid from
Atletico Madrid in 1998, signed a three-year deal at Old Trafford
and has been tipped as a possible successor to Barthez as the
club's preferred number one.
Sir Alex Ferguson said of the swoop: 'He is second
choice in the Spanish national squad and a lot of people believe
if he was with a bigger team he would be in the side. With that
level of ability he was an easy choice.'
United had been searching for some time for a
third keeper following the release of Raimond van der Gouw earlier
in the summer.
