Although born in Medina de Pomar, Province of Burgos, Castile and León, Pereda was raised in Balmaseda in Biscay,[1] and, as a schoolboy, he captained the provincial U-16 team.

With the Merengues, Pereda only appeared in two La Liga games, scoring once in a 3–0 home win against Real Zaragoza as the team won the national championship.

During his spell in the Spanish capital, he was also loaned to Real Valladolid in Segunda División – after falling out with coach Luis Carniglia[1]– returning to the top flight with Sevilla FC and netting 11 goals in his first season.

[4] Aged 31, Pereda left Barcelona and joined Catalonia neighbours CE Sabadell FC, appearing rarely during the top flight season.

He scored in both the semi-final against Hungary and the final against the Soviet Union, as the national team won the tournament on home soil; in the decisive match he also assisted Marcelino in the 2–1 winner, although No-Do newsreels showed Amancio as the author of the pass.