Madrid legend, Fernando Hierro, became the Spanish National Team manager on Wednesday. Here’s a look back at his career and why his new job is exciting for Real Madrid fans.

It has been a roller coaster of emotions for Real Madrid fans this week with new coach, Julen Lopetegui, officially revealed as manager on Thursday after being appointed on Tuesday and losing his job as head of the Spanish national team on Wednesday.

In the excitement and surprises that the last seven days have held for Madridistas, Fernando Hierro’s appointment to the Spanish national team job has been lost in the noise. The former Real Madrid captain has enjoyed a colored career after leaving the Spanish capital in 2003, venturing to exotic lands such as Qatar and Bolton. Since retiring in 2005, Hierro has worked as a director of football, barring a few managerial ventures in between.

The Spanish national team represents Hierro’s first big managerial job and his appointment offered a chance to briefly revisit his career and revel in the excitement of another Madrid legend in top level management.

Fernando Hierro’s early career

Fernando Hierro was born in March 1968 in Malaga. Deployed mainly in midfield or at center back, Hierro had joined his first club, Real Valladolid, in 1987 on the recommendation of his brother, Manolo Hierro, who helped the club secure top-flight survival the previous season.

He had previously played for the Malaga youth team, but was let go and told he wasn’t good enough for professional football. Hierro started out in the Valladolid youth team, but quickly broke into the first team and helped to lead the relegation threatened Pucela to the holy grail of European football in his two seasons at the club.

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He was among the few signings that Los Blancos new manager, John Toshack, made in 1989 and demonstrated the quality that enticed the Welshman to splash the cash in his debut season as Real Madrid cantered home to a fifth consecutive league title, scoring a then record 107 goals.

Although the guile of the Quinta del Buitre stole the headlines, Hierro contributions both up front and defensively can’t be ignored. The young Spaniard showed his eye for goal with seven strikes, “I don’t have the defender’s mindset,” he admitted later on in his career. “Everything I’ve achieved as a defender has been the consequence of getting it wrong on many occasions, of making lots of mistakes and learning from them.”

On the back of such scoring exploits, Hierro played his early career in midfield and demonstrated an unnatural scoring ability, scoring 21 goals during the 1991-92 season.