| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Zigor Aranalde Sarasola | ||
| Date of birth | February 28, 1973 | ||
| Place of birth | Ibarra, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Playing position | Left back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1991–1992 | Hernani | ||
| 1992–1994 | Eibar | 42 | (1) |
| 1994–1996 | Atlético Marbella | 56 | (0) |
| 1996–1997 | Sevilla | 22 | (0) |
| 1997–1999 | Albacete | 51 | (2) |
| 1999–2000 | Logroñés | 39 | (1) |
| 2000–2005 | Walsall | 195 | (5) |
| 2005 | Sheffield Wednesday | 2 | (0) |
| 2005–2008 | Carlisle United | 109 | (6) |
| 2008–2009 | Almansa | ||
| 2009–2010 | La Gineta | ||
| National team | |||
| Basque Country | |||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Zigor Aranalde Sarasola (born 28 February 1973) is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a left defender.
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Born in Ibarra, Gipuzkoa, Aranalde began his football career at lowly CD Hernani, going on to spend seven of his eight professional seasons in his country in the second division.
In 1996–97, he was first-choice at Sevilla FC in the top flight, but the Andalusians finished third from the bottom, with the subsequent relegation.
Aranalde then joined Football League outfit Walsall, on the eve of the 2000–01 season. He spent just under five full seasons at the Bescot Stadium, winning promotion via the play-off final in his first season, and being a regular member of the side until he was surprisingly released by then-Walsall manager, Paul Merson, in March 2005. He moved on to Sheffield Wednesday immediately following his release, but was sent off in only his second game for the club, and never appeared for them again.
In the summer of 2005, Aranalde signed for newly-promoted Carlisle United, who went on to claim promotion and the championship in League Two that season. He scored five goals during the course of the season, and was part of a squad which incidentally had two other links to his former club, through ex-Walsall striker Karl Hawley, and future Preston North End manager Paul Simpson. On October 1, 2005, he scored Bristol Rovers' 5000th ever goal, which was an own goal, in a 1–3 loss.
On 16 May 2008, it was announced that Aranalde was being released from Carlisle, alongside Paul Arnison and Grant Carson.[1] Two years later, after playing some amateur football in his country, he returned to England, being named chief scout at Brighton & Hove Albion, in League One.