Mikel Arruabarrena

Mikel Arruabarrena

File:Arruabarrena mikel.jpg Arruabarrena with Legia Warsaw
Personal information
Full name	Mikel Arruabarrena Aranbide
Date of birth	(1983-02-09) 9 February 1983
Place of birth	Tolosa, Spain
Height
Position(s)	Centre forward
Team information
Current team	Eibar
Number	10
Youth career
	Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2002–2003	Basconia	36	(5)
2003–2005	Bilbao Athletic	69	(18)
2005–2007	Osasuna B	35	(12)
2006–2007	→ Xerez (loan)	25	(5)
2007–2008	Tenerife	31	(6)
2008–2009	Legia Warsaw	6	(0)
2009	→ Eibar (loan)	13	(1)
2009–	Eibar	174	(44)
2010–2011	→ Leganés (loan)	34	(21)
International career‡
1999	Spain U16	1	(0)
2014–	Basque Country	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 8 November 2015 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14 January 2015

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Arruabarrena and the second or maternal family name is Aranbide.

Mikel Arruabarrena Aranbide (born 9 February 1983) is a Spanish footballer who plays for SD Eibar as a centre forward.

Football career

Born in Tolosa, Basque Country, Arruabarrena had small stints with local giants Athletic Bilbao and its Navarrese neighbours CA Osasuna, but never made it past its reserves on both occasions. From 2006 to 2008 he played in the second division with Xerez CD and CD Tenerife, with relative impact.

In the 2008 summer Arruabarrena was bought by Poland's Legia Warsaw, alongside compatriots Iñaki Descarga and Iñaki Astiz. However, in January of the following year, he was loaned to SD Eibar also in his native region and the second level, not being able to prevent the team from eventually dropping down a category.

In that summer, Arruabarrena arranged for a buyout of his Legia contract, and remained at Eibar permanently, competing several seasons with the side in division three. On 12 December 2012 he was decisive in eliminating former club Athletic from the Copa del Rey, after scoring in a 1–1 draw at the San Mamés Stadium (his team proggressed on the away goals rule).

Arruabarrena contributed with 36 games and seven goals in the 2013–14 season, as the Armeros promoted to La Liga for the first time ever. On 27 June 2014 he renewed his link with the club, and made his debut in the competition on 24 August at the age of 31, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 home win against Real Sociedad.

Arruabarrena scored his first goal in the main category of Spanish football on 24 September 2014, in a 1–1 home draw against Villarreal CF.

External links

• Mikel Arruabarrena profile at BDFutbol
• Mikel Arruabarrena profile at Futbolme (Spanish)
• Mikel Arruabarrena at Soccerway