Ulises de la Cruz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ulises de la Cruz
Member of the National Assembly for Carchi Province
In office 14 May 2013 – 14 May 2017
Personal details
Born	(1974-02-08) 8 February 1974 (age 51) Piquiucho, Carchi, Ecuador
Political party	PAIS Alliance
Occupation	Footballer (retired) politician
Association football career Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) Position(s) Defender Senior career* Years Team Apps (Gls) 1991–1994 Deportivo Quito 86 (6) 1995–1997 Barcelona S.C. 14 (0) 1996 → Aucas (loan) 32 (3) 1997 → LDU Quito (loan) 38 (4) 1998–2001 LDU Quito 91 (16) 1999 → Cruzeiro (loan) 4 (0) 2001 → Barcelona S.C. (loan) 8 (0) 2001–2002 Hibernian 32 (2) 2002–2006 Aston Villa 89 (1) 2006–2008 Reading 15 (1) 2009 Birmingham City 1 (0) 2009–2012 LDU Quito 117 (14) Total 527 (47) International career 1995–2010 Ecuador 101 (6) *Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ulises de la Cruz (born February 8, 1974) is a famous Ecuadorian who used to play football. He was a defender and played for the Ecuador national team many times. After his football career, he became a politician and served in Ecuador's National Assembly.

Ulises de la Cruz played for several football clubs, including Aston Villa and Reading in England. He also played in two FIFA World Cup tournaments for Ecuador. Besides his sports career, he is known for starting a charity to help people in his home village.

Ulises de la Cruz's Football Journey

Ulises de la Cruz started his football career at a young age. He became a well-known defender for various teams.

Starting His Career

Ulises de la Cruz was born in Piquiucho, a village in Carchi, Ecuador. He began playing for Deportivo Quito when he was just 16. His big moment came in 1998 with LDU Quito. He scored three goals in a major final match, helping his team win 7–0.

Playing in Scotland: Hibernian

In June 2001, Ulises de la Cruz moved to Scotland to play for Hibernian, a club in the Scottish Premier League. Hibernian paid a record fee of £700,000 to sign him. He scored two goals for Hibs, both in a big local game against Hearts. He played for Hibs for one season before moving on after the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He had hoped to play in Spain or Italy after the World Cup.

Time with Aston Villa

In 2002, Ulises de la Cruz joined Aston Villa in England. He was 28 years old at the time. He was very happy to join Aston Villa and play in the Premier League, which is England's top football league. Fans quickly liked him.

In his first season, he played 24 games and scored one goal. He played even more in the next season. He signed a new contract to stay with Aston Villa for the 2004–05 season. Later, in the 2005–06 season, he felt he wasn't getting enough chances to play and wanted to move to another club.

Moving to Reading

On August 25, 2006, Ulises de la Cruz signed a one-year contract with Reading as a free player. He scored his first goal for Reading in a 3–1 win against Sheffield United in January 2007. He had a good first season with Reading and was offered a new two-year contract. However, after Reading was relegated from the Premier League, his contract was not renewed in May 2008.

Short Spell at Birmingham City

In March 2009, Ulises de la Cruz signed a one-month contract with Birmingham City, a club in the Football League Championship. He made his debut as a substitute in a 2–0 win against Doncaster Rovers. When his contract ended, he decided not to extend it.

Returning to LDU Quito

After leaving Birmingham City, Ulises de la Cruz went back to Ecuador to play for LDU Quito. This was his third time playing for the club. He helped LDU Quito win the 2009 Recopa Sudamericana, which was his first international title.

Retiring from Football

In February 2013, Ulises de la Cruz announced that he would stop playing football. He wanted to focus on his political career in Ecuador. He had a special farewell match to celebrate his long and successful career.

Playing for Ecuador

Ulises de la Cruz was a very important player for the Ecuador national team. He first played for his country in May 1995 when he was 21. He played 101 games for Ecuador until his last match in May 2010, when he was 36.

He was a key player for Ecuador in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, where the team reached the second round. In Ecuador, he is one of the most loved players, not just for his football skills but also for his charity work.

Helping His Community

Ulises de la Cruz was born in Piquiucho, a small village in the Valle del Chota, which is one of the poorer areas in Ecuador. He started a charity called Friends of FundeCruz to help his local community. He donates about 10% of his salary to this charity.

Friends of FundeCruz is also a registered charity in Britain. Football fans in Reading even helped raise money for his fund. The foundation helps pay for important projects like a water treatment plant, a health center, and a sports ground. Ulises de la Cruz has also been named an ambassador for UNICEF, which helps children around the world.

Ulises de la Cruz's Political Career

In the Ecuadorian general election of 2013, Ulises de la Cruz was elected as a member of the National Assembly for Carchi Province. He is part of the PAIS Alliance political party. Interestingly, two of his former teammates from the national football team, Agustín Delgado and Iván Hurtado, also serve in the National Assembly for the same party.

Awards and Achievements

Ulises de la Cruz won several titles during his football career:

With LDU Quito

• Serie A: 1998, 1999, 2010
• Recopa Sudamericana: 2009, 2010
• Copa Sudamericana: 2009

With Ecuador National Team

• Canada Cup: 1999

See also

In Spanish: Ulises de la Cruz para niños

• List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps