Top 5 oldest debutants in La Liga

The day you wear the boots and step out onto the field is one of the most significant dates in a footballer’s career. Every player patiently waits for their chance to step on the field for the first time. They want to create a mark in front of the whole world ever since they decided to become a professional footballer. Most of them tend to get their chance pretty early in their careers at a young age. However, there are some rare cases where the wait is longer than usual. Here we’re going to take a look at the top 5 oldest debutants in La Liga.

oldest debutants in La Liga :

#5. Armando Ribeiro

Age: 34 years

The Spanish Goalkeeper Ribeiro had to wait a long time before finally getting to show off his skills to the world in the premier division of La Liga. He began his career from the second division and had to work himself all the way up to the first. At the age of 34, he finally made his debut in La Liga playing for Cadiz against Real Madrid. Ribeiro spent nine years at the club, being their first choice goalkeeper. In 2008, he was then loaned out to Athletic Bilbao. He then earned a transfer to the club and after playing for 2 years, Ribeiro retired in 2010.

Read More: Top 5 Youngest Debutants In La Liga

#4. Jerzy Dudek

Age: 35 years

The Polish player began his senior career playing as a goalkeeper for Concordia Knurów. His impressive record of 416 minutes without conceding a goal made English giants Liverpool sign him in 2001. Dudek spent 7 years at the club where his fine performances earned him a nomination for the UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year award. He won 4 titles at the club including the UCL in 2005. He was then signed by Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2007. Jerzy then made his La Liga debut at the age of 35. During his stay at the club, the Polish goalkeeper only made a total of 2 La Liga appearances and won 3 titles in 4 years. He spent most of his time being a reliable backup to Iker Casillas before parting ways with the club in 2011. Dudek is also the second most-capped(60) player for Poland.

#3. Larbi Ben Barek

Age: 37 years

A legend of Moroccan football, Larbi Ben Barek was the first African to ever feature in Spain’s first division. He started his career playing as a midfielder for Moroccan and French clubs earning the nickname “Black Pearl”. Barek made his debut in La Liga at the age of 37 after he signed for Atletico Madrid in 1948. He enjoyed great success during his two-year tenure at the club and also won the La Liga two years in a row. Moreover, Ben quickly became a fan favourite and was given the nickname “The Foot of God” by the media. Barek also represented France on the international stage. He inspired and paved the way for a whole generation of African footballers to achieve similar success in European football. 

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#2. Alberto Cifuentes

Age: 41 years

Alberto Cifuentes became the second oldest debutant in La Liga when he took charge of the goalpost for Cadiz in 2020 at the age of 41. He spent several years playing in the second division before Cadiz signed him in 2015. Cadiz also played in the second division when he joined the club, but finally got promoted to the premier division in 2020 after 14 long years. Alberto then made his debut against SD Huesca which ended in a 2-0 win at home. Cifuentes became the oldest player in Cadiz’s history and is now also located third on the list of oldest players to have ever played a match in La Liga. He has over 200+ appearances for Cadiz in 5 years at the club. He then proceeded to retire in 2020 and took over the role of the manager at Cadiz B.

#1. Harry Lowe

Age: 48 years

Harry Lowe was appointed as the manager of Real Sociedad de Fútbol in 1930. He managed the club for 5 years setting a record in club history. During one of the matches against Valencia CF in 1935, the English coach found that his team was lacking the 11 required players to start on the pitch due to unforeseen injuries. Instead of fielding just 10 players on the pitch, he decided to play himself as the 11th player and turned into a player-manager for the week. Valencia won 7-1 and Lowe assisted the only goal from his side. With his appearance against Valencia at the age of 48, Lowe is the oldest debutant in La Liga and his record is still remains intact.

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Top 5 oldest debutants in La Liga:

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