Ex-Pumas, Glasgow Rangers, and Mexican international Eduardo Herrera announces retirement.

Eduardo Herrera has announced his retirement of football. “Lalo” as he was known had a 15 year career, with his best moments being at Pumas. He was also one of the increasing quantity of Mexican players in Europe, with a short spell at Glasgow Rangers in Scotland. He also had a very short career as a Mexican international, but in which he took part of the 2015 Copa America. Herrera last played at Venados de Merida in the Liga de Expansion, and at the young age of 33 has decided to call it a career.

Herrera started his career in the Pumas youth system before making the second division team of Pumas Morelos. After a good spell there, he was called up to the first division UNAM Pumas team in 2011. With Pumas he had some solid seasons as a substitute and won two Liga MX titles before being loaned out to Santos Laguna in 2013. After that spell he would return to Pumas where he would have his best moments of his career.

In his second spell with Pumas, he became a starter and a key player on the team that got to the final of the Apertura 2015 (where Herrera was red carded in the second leg), as well as the last Mexican team to play in the Copa Libertadores in 2016. In that tournament, Pumas got to the Quarterfinals and Herrera scored twice in the competition. Herrera was a fan favorite at the time and scored some very beautiful goals.

Among the better one was one against Morelia:

But by far the best goal of Herrera’s career was scored in a CONCACAF Champions League cup against Honduras Progreso.

Herrera’s form in Pumas was good enough to get to the Mexico National Team in 2015. Herrera was called up in various games, and scored the only goal in a friendly match against Paraguay. He was part of the Mexican team that was going to play in the 2015 Copa America in Chile, which was a B squad since the A squad had to play in the 2015 Gold Cup. During that time he had his best game with the Mexican National Team when he scored twice in a 3-0 friendly win against Guatemala.

Herrera was part of the Mexican National Team in the Copa America that wound up getting only two points, thus finishing in last place of their group, going out in the group stage of the competition. Herrera’s career in the national team ended with that tournament.

After his time in Pumas, Herrera started a slow decline after being loaned out to Veracruz. Then to the surprise of many, he made a move to European football. Portuguese coach Pedro Caixinha signed to coach Rangers after a spell in Mexico with Santos, and he took Herrera as well as Carlos Peña to the Scottish side. There Herrera and Peña both had some moments, but after Caixinha was fired they didn’t last long on the team and both returned to Mexico. Herrera went back to Santos Laguna and then had a spell with Necaxa, where he had his final good moments in Liga MX. After that he moved to Puebla, where his short time was disastrous. Thus it became his final team in Liga MX and he moved to Liga de Expansion, Mexico’s second division, with Venados. Herrera had some moments there, but overall it was clear he wasn’t going to return to his old level and unsurprisingly has decided to end his career.

Herrera didn’t have a superstar career, but had some solid season and definitely is part of Pumas history. He won two Liga MX titles with the club and then was part in the Pumas side that last finished first place in Liga MX. Although they side lost the final and Herrera was key in that loss with his red card in the second leg, he was still part of the last Pumas and Liga MX team to have played in Libertadores, who lost in a penalty shootout against finalist Independiente del Valle. Herrera also wrote his name in another history, that of Mexican players in Europe with a Rangers team that was struggling at the time, but was still one of the big two teams in Scotland. He had some bright spells, and Pumas fans overall should have a nice memory of a Mexican forward that scored and did well in his job.