Fulham fans who are lucky enough to remember Bryan Ruiz will speak fondly of the Costa Rican, but what’s he up to now?

South American has produced some of world football’s best and most exciting players to watch, but it’s the smaller nations that often produce the most unlikely ones, especially for those that make it into the Premier League

Peru had Nobby Solano and Paraguay Roque Santa Cruz. But of the small list of Costa Rican players to play in the Premier League, Bryan Ruiz certainly tops it.

A typically flair-based number-ten, Ruiz spent four seasons with Fulham in the top-flight between 2011 and 2015, making 108 appearances in white and scoring 12 goals along the way.

His journey began as a sprightly, long-haired youngster with Alajuelense in his home nation. Bursting onto the scene at 18-years-old - Ruiz would spend three seasons with Alajuelense before moving to Europe.

Belgium was his next destination, and Gent his first stop. It was here where he truly began to develop as a player and after another successful three-year stint he joined Dutch side Twente.

For Twente, Ruiz scored 44 goals in two seasons from midfield - and that was all Fulham needed to hear to bring him to England.

Ruiz spent four seasons at Craven Cottage. He was hailed at his new club for whom he’d make over a century of appearances - his technical game gave Fulham an edge that they’d not had previously.

When Martin Jol was sacked by the club in December 2013 though, Ruiz subsequently fell out of favour and spent the remainder of the 2013/14 on-loan at PSV Eindhoven.

He returned to Fulham for a fourth season and amidst the club’s managerial indecision, Fulham narrowly avoided relegation and Ruiz headed for the exit.

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He left for Sporting CP where he again became part of the furniture, playing 121 games for the Portuguese side between 2015 and 2018.

Now at 34-years-old, Ruiz is seeing out his fine-footballing career back in his home continent.

He joined Brazilian side Santos in 2018 on a free, and is concluding his second season at the club in the coming weeks.

Still a full international for Costa Rica (he led them out at last year’s World Cup), Ruiz will go down in national folklore.

Often regarded as something of a flop at Fulham, the Cottage was nevertheless supportive of the player who’s had an illustrious career which has taken him around the world and back, and Fulham fans can look back on fond memories of better days.