Mikel Arruabarrena

Mikel Arruabarrena

Arruabarrena with Legia Warsaw
Personal information
Full name	Mikel Arruabarrena Aranbide
Date of birth	9 February 1983
Place of birth	Tolosa, Spain
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position	Centre forward
Club information
Current team	Huesca (on loan from Eibar)
Number	23
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	175	(44)
2010–2011	→ Leganés (loan)	34	(21)
2016	→ Huesca (loan)	13	(1)
National team^‡
1999	Spain U16	1	(0)
2014–	Basque Country	1	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 24 April 2016. † Appearances (goals) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14 January 2015

Mikel Arruabarrena Aranbide (born 9 February 1983) is a Spanish footballer who plays for SD Huesca on loan from 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^[1] and CD Tenerife,^[2] with relative impact.

In the 2008 summer, Arruabarrena was bought by Poland's Legia Warsaw alongside compatriots Iñaki Descarga and Iñaki Astiz.^[3] However, in January of the following year, he was loaned to SD Eibar also in his native region and the second level,^[4] 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^[5] and remained at Eibar permanently,^[6] 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).^[7]

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. He renewed his link with the club on 27 June 2014,^[8] 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.^[9]

Arruabarrena scored his first goal in the Spanish top tier on 24 September 2014, in a 1–1 home draw against Villarreal CF.^[10] On 24 January 2016, he was loaned to SD Huesca from the second division until the end of the season.^[11]

References

1. El Xerez presenta a Raúl Medina y Arruabarrena (Xerez presents Raúl Medina and Arruabarrena); Marca, 23 August 2006 (Spanish)
2. Mikel Arruabarrena se marcha al Tenerife (Mikel Arruabarrena goes to Tenerife); Marca, 8 August 2007 (Spanish)
3. Arruabarrena ficha por el Legia de Varsovia (Arruabarrena signs for Legia Warsaw); Marca, 10 June 2008 (Spanish)
4. El Eibar cierra el fichaje de Arruabarrena (Eibar completes the signing of Arruabarrena); Marca, 6 January 2009 (Spanish)
5. Kontrakt z Arruabarreną rozwiązany! (Contract with Arruabarrena resolved!); Legionisci, 24 June 2009 (Polish)
6. «El gran interés del Eibar me obliga a decidirme pronto» ("Eibar's great interest means I have to decide quickly"); El Diario Vasco, 9 July 2009 (Spanish)
7. El pequeño se come al grande (Little fish eat big fish); Marca, 12 December 2012 (Spanish)
8. Mikel Arruabarrena renueva por dos temporadas (Mikel Arruabarrena renews for two seasons); Eibar's official website, 27 June 2014 (Spanish)
9. Lara seals dream start for Eibar; ESPN FC, 24 August 2014
10. Eibar 1–1 Villarreal; ESPN FC, 24 September 2014
11. Arruabarrena refuerza el ataque del Huesca (Arruabarrena bolsters Huesca offense); Marca, 24 January 2016 (Spanish)

External links

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