Mikel Balenziaga

Mikel Balenziaga
Personal information
Full name	Mikel Balenziaga Oruesagasti
Date of birth	29 February 1988 (age 36)
Place of birth	Zumarraga, Spain
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Left back
Team information
Current team	Valladolid
Number	24
Youth career
	Real Sociedad
Senior career*
Years	Team
2006–2008	Real Sociedad B
2008–	Athletic Bilbao
2009–2010	→ Numancia (loan)
2011–	→ Valladolid (loan)
International career
2007	Spain U19
2008	Spain U21
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 February 2013

Template:Spanish name Mikel Balenziaga Oruesagasti (born 29 February 1988 in Zumarraga, Gipuzkoa) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Real Valladolid, on loan from Athletic Bilbao, as a left defender.

Club career

Balenziaga started his football grooming at Real Sociedad, playing two full seasons with its B team in the third division. However, in 2008–09, he switched to neighbours Athletic Bilbao.

Initially thought of as a member of the reserve team, Balenziaga quickly beat competition from veterans Koikili and Javier Casas to become the undisputed first-choice left back for the vast majority of the season, making his first-team debut on 14 September 2008 in a 0–0 away draw against Málaga CF. Another club graduate, Ander Iturraspe, also made his first La Liga appearance in that game.^[1]

In July 2009 Athletic bought Xabier Castillo from neighbours Real Sociedad, and Balenziaga, seeing his first-team chances for the upcoming season dim, accepted a loan move to CD Numancia, freshly relegated from the top division. After only making a single appearance from Athletic in the 2010–11 season, he has been loaned to Real Valladolid from 2011.

References

^ "Málaga CF 0-Athletic Club 0: First Point". Athletic Bilbao. 14 September 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2008.

External links

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[1] "Málaga CF 0-Athletic Club 0: First Point". Athletic Bilbao. 14 September 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2008.

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