Xabi Irureta

Not to be confused with Javier Irureta.
Xabi Irureta
Personal information
Full nameXabier Iruretagoiena Arantzamendi
Date of birth21 March 1986
Place of birthOndarroa, Spain
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing positionGoalkeeper
Club information
Current team
Eibar
Number1
Youth career
Real Unión
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2005–2006Real Unión2(0)
2006–2007Aurrerá Ondarroa
2007–2009Eibar B48(0)
2009–Eibar185(0)
National team
2014–Basque Country1(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 5 January 2015.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14 January 2015
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Iruretagoiena and the second or maternal family name is Arantzamendi.

Xabier 'Xabi' Iruretagoiena Arantzamendi (born 21 March 1986), commonly known as Irureta, is a Spanish footballer who plays for SD Eibar as a goalkeeper.

Club career

Born in Ondarroa, Biscay, Irureta made his senior debuts with local Real Unión in the 2005–06 season, in Segunda División B. In the 2006 summer he moved to amateurs CD Aurrerá Ondarroa, also in his native Basque Country.

In July 2007 Irureta joined SD Eibar, being initially assigned to the reserves in Tercera División.[1] He played his first match as a professional on 30 May 2009, starting in a 0–3 away loss against Xerez CD for the Segunda División championship,[2] and appeared in a further three matches during the campaign as the Armeros suffered relegation after ranking in 21st position.

Irureta was definitely promoted to the main squad in July 2009,[3] being named first-choice ahead of Zigor Goikuria. In 2012–13 he appeared in 46 matches (34 in the league, 4126 minutes of action) to help Eibar return to the second tier after a four-year absence.

On 20 February 2014 Irureta signed a new two-year deal with the club,[4] which was promoted to La Liga for the first-time ever. He made his debut in the competition on 24 August, aged 28, starting in a 1–0 home success against Real Sociedad.[5]

References

External links