Imanol Agirretxe

Imanol Agirretxe
Personal information
Full nameImanol Agirretxe Arruti
Date of birth24 February 1987
Place of birthUsurbil, Spain
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing positionStriker
Club information
Current team
Real Sociedad
Number9
Youth career
Antiguoko
2001–2003Athletic Bilbao
2003–2004Real Sociedad
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2004–2008Real Sociedad B110(33)
2005–Real Sociedad211(56)
2007Castellón (loan)8(1)
National team
2003Spain U163(4)
2004–2005Spain U177(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22 March 2015.
† Appearances (Goals).
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Agirretxe and the second or maternal family name is Arruti.

Imanol Agirretxe Arruti (born 24 February 1987 in Usurbil, Gipuzkoa) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Real Sociedad as a striker.

Football career

A product of Real Sociedad's youth system, Agirretxe first appeared with the first team in the 2004–05 campaign, amassing three substitute appearances – during his second, a 1–3 home loss against Málaga CF on 15 May 2005, he managed to score after just 16 minutes on the pitch.[1] In the following three seasons combined, however, he only appeared in nine league matches, and also served a six-month loan spell at CD Castellón in the second division.

In 2008–09's second level, Agirretxe appeared regularly for the first time (mainly due to the serious injury to Iñigo Díaz de Cerio[2]), and netted nine goals in 28 games, but the Basque again failed to return to La Liga.

Again mainly a backup after the signing on loan of Uruguayan Carlos Bueno, he scored six in the following campaign, in 36 matches, as Real finally promoted as champions. In the 2011–12 season, following Raúl Tamudo's departure and the continuous physical problems that bothered Joseba Llorente, he was finally made first-choice, and netted three goals in his first two league games: two against Sporting de Gijón in a 2–1 away win[3] and one against FC Barcelona, helping the hosts come from behind 0–2 for an eventual 2–2 draw;[4] he finished the campaign with ten successful strikes, only trailing Carlos Vela in the squad.

On 19 January 2013 Agirretxe came from the bench for the last six minutes of a home fixture against Barcelona, and scored in the last minute to help Real Sociedad seal a 3–2 comeback (they trailed 0–2 in the 40th minute) and end the Catalans' unbeaten domestic run.[5] At the season's end he again finished second in team scoring (13), again only behind the Mexican.[6][7]

Club statistics

As of 7 February 2015 [8][9][10]

Club Season League Cup Continental[nb 1] Other[nb 2] Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Real Sociedad B 2004–05 237237
2005–06 34123412
2006–07 123123
2007–08 309309
2008–09 7171
Total 110 33 0 0 0 0 0 0 110 33
Castellón 2006–07 81237
Real Sociedad 2004–05 3131
2005–06 101020
2006–07 6060
2007–08 2020
2008–09 289289
2009–10 33610346
2010–11 11321134
2011–12 3610323912
2012–13 3413213614
2013–14 3083060398
2014–15 1120040152
Total 132 35 12 4 10 0 0 0 220 54
Career total 311 82 13 5 10 0 0 0 334 87

Notes

  1. Includes appearances in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League
  2. Includes appearances in the Supercopa de España

References

  1. El Málaga golea a una pasiva Real (Málaga routs passive Real); El Mundo, 15 May 2005 (Spanish)
  2. Díaz de Cerio se fractura tibia y peroné (Díaz de Cerio fractures tibia and fibula); Marca, 8 November 2008 (Spanish)
  3. Agirretxe at the double for Sociedad; ESPN Soccernet, 27 August 2011
  4. Sociedad peg Barca back; ESPN Soccernet, 10 September 2011
  5. Sociedad stun Barca; ESPN FC, 19 January 2013
  6. Si Agirretxe gol, no problem (If Agirretxe gol, no problem); Noticias de Gipuzkoa, 19 April 2013 (Spanish)
  7. Enchufados a Agirretxe (On Agirretxe's back); Marca, 29 April 2013 (Spanish)
  8. "Agirretxe". Soccerway. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  9. "Imanol Agirretxe". Footballdatabase. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  10. Imanol Agirretxe at ESPN FC

External links