Biography
Left back Ruben Vinagre joined Hull City on a season long loan in June 2023 from Portuguese side Sporting Club de Portugal and went straight into the first team on the first day of the 2023/24 season at rain-sodden Norwich. While evidently an impressive and pacy attacking left back, Ruben struggled for fitness and was unable to hold down a regular first team place. In January 2024, after just 11 appearances for the Tigers, Vinagre’s loan deal was terminated early and he moved on to Italian Serie A side Hellas Verona.
Rúben Gonçalo da Silva Nascimento Vinagre was born in Charneca de Caparica, a suburb of the city of Almada located in the metropolitan area of Lisbon in Portugal. He played for several clubs in his teenage years, notably Lisbon-based giants Sporting Club de Portugal, but in 2015 he chose to join French Ligue 1 side AS Monaco to continue his development. In June 2017, without having broken into the Monaco first team, Vinagre signed a season long loan at English Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers, making his debut against Brentford in August 2017. He made 13 appearances for Wolves during the 2017/18 season and scored once in September 2017 against Burton Albion. This form prompted Wolves, who had won promotion to the Premier League, to convert the loan into a permanent signing in June 2018.
Ruben alternated between left back and left midfield in his first Premier League season, making 21 appearances in all competitions. With Wolves finishing high up the Premier League table and qualifying for the Europa League, Vinagre was used regularly during their European campaign and ended the 2019/20 season with a further 33 senior appearances, also adding two goals in Europa League ties against Northern Irish side Crusaders in July 2019 and the Armenians of Pyunik Yerevan in August 2019. Ruben added three more appearances for Wolves at the start of the 2020/21 season, taking his tally to two goals in 49 appearances, then in October 2020 he made a season long loan move to Greek League giants Olympiacos Piraeus. Within a month Olympiacos changed manager and after only 4 appearances he fell out of favour and returned to Wolves. In January 2021 he made another loan move to Portuguese Liga Nos side Famalicao where he saw out the 2021/21 season, making 20 appearances.
In July 2021 Ruben made a season-long loan move to Liga Nos side Sporting Club de Portugal, he made 18 appearances and did enough by July 2022 to earn a permanent move to the Lisbon side he had played for as a teenager. However within four weeks of signing for Sporting he was loaned to Premier League side Everton for the 2022/23 season – he made just 4 appearances for the Toffees in a season spoilt by injuries. After returning to Lisbon for the 2023 close season Vinagre joined the Tigers in June 2023.
In January 2024 Vinagre left the Tigers and joined Italian Serie A side Hellas Verona on a half season loan, making his debut a couple of days later against Frosinone and ending the season with 12 appearances. In July 2024 he was on the move again, joining Poland Ekstraklasa side Legia Warsaw on a season long loan and slotting straight in the Legionaries’ first team.
VInagre was an international player throughout his development at Monaco and Wolves. He made seven appearances for Portugal Under-16s in the 2014/15 season after a February 2015 debut against Germany. During the 2015/16 season he made 16 appearances for the Under-17s, playing five times during May 2016 in the Euro Under-17 Championships in Azerbaijan and saw Portugal lift the title after defeating Spain in the Final. After making four appearances for Portugal’s Under-18s Ruben graduated to the Under-19s in August 2017 and made 16 appearances including five in the 2018 Euro Under-19 Championships played in Finland, which saw Portugal beat Italy in the Final. Vinagre made his Under-21s debut in October 2018 against Liechtenstein and went on to play four times at that level, his last appearance coming in October 2020 against Gibraltar – he also played ten times for the Under-20s during the 2018/19 season.
Details
Nationality: Portugal
Date/Place of Birth: 9 April 1999, Charneca de Caparica, Portugal
Hull City First Game: 5 August 2023, Norwich City A (Championship), 24 years, 118 days old
Hull City Final Game: 13 December 2023, Middlesbrough A (Championship), 24 years, 248 days old
Clubs
AS Monaco (2015-2018), Wolverhampton Wanderers (2017-2018, loan), Wolverhampton Wanderers (2018-2022), Olympiacos (2021-2022, loan), Famalicao (2021, loan), Sporting Club de Portugal (2021-2022, loan), Sporting Club de Portugal (2022-current), Everton (2022-2023, loan), Hull City (2023-2024, loan), Hellas Verona (2024, loan), Legia Warsaw (2024-2025, loan)
Hull City Record
Career: 11 apps, 0 goals
Ruben Vinagre| Season | LGE App | LGE Gls | FAC App | FAC Gls | FLC App | FLC Gls | EUR App | EUR Gls | OTH App | OTH Gls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | 6 (4) | 0 | – | – | 1 (0) | 0 | – | – | – | – |