Born in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on 16th February 1930, José Luis Romero kicked off his footballing career with Victoria de Las Palmas, and later with Deportivo de Ifni. He signed to Valencia CF, playing first for CD Mestalla in the 1949/50 season. That same year he rose to Valencia CF and enjoyed a dream debut, scoring two goals in his first match in the elite, at San Mamés stadium against Athletic Club (Valencia won by 3-6). The following season he remained with the Valencia club, and in 1951/52 moved back to CD Mestalla.
Following a brief spell with UD Las Palmas due to military service, in 1953 he signed to CD Málaga, then in the Second Division, where he remained until 1956. His first match as a Malaguista was against CD Tenerife on 27th September 1953, with a 2-3 victory for Málaga. That season Romero took part in 19 matches between the League and promotion, scoring one goal. In the end, the team secured First Division promotion.
In the 1954/55 season, he became a regular fixture upfront with the Blue and Whites, scoring four goals, although the team didn’t manage to achieve permanency. The following campaign was his last as a Malaguista, in which he played 15 games and scored six goals in the Second Division. His total stats with CD Málaga were 57 official matches and 11 goals.
After leaving the Blue and Whites’ Club, Romero moved to Xerez CD, RCD Mallorca and CE Constància, where he retired in 1962. From then on, he resided in Mallorca.