 As Turkey's Rüştü Reçber went on loan in the 2004–05 season he was handed the role of third-choice in the first team, behind Víctor Valdés and Albert Jorquera.On 18 December 2004, Rubén entered the pitch for Xavi after Valdés' dismissal in a 1–1 away draw against Valencia CF, and kept his place for the subsequent 2–1 La Liga win over Levante UD.After some more years in the B-squad and an unassuming second division loan at Racing de Ferrol (no games played, eventual relegation), he was released by Barcelona, joining FC Cartagena in the third level and going on to play in more than 80 official matches in his first two seasons combined, promoting in the first and nearly repeating the feat in the second.