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Iñigo Lekue

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In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Lekue and the second or maternal family name is Martínez.
Iñigo Lekue
Lekue in 2017
Personal information
Full name Iñigo Lekue Martínez
Date of birth (1993-05-04) 4 May 1993 (age 31)[1]
Place of birth Bilbao, Spain[1]
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position(s) Full-back
Team information
Current team
 Athletic Bilbao
Number 15
Youth career
2008–2012 Danok Bat
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2013 Basconia 34 (0)
2013–2015 Bilbao Athletic 60 (1)
2015– Athletic Bilbao 192 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:18, 1 December 2024 (UTC)

Iñigo Lekue Martínez (Basque: [iɲiɣo lekue maɾtines̻]; Spanish: [ˈiɲiɣo ˈlekwe maɾˈtineθ]; born 4 May 1993) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a right or left-back for Athletic Bilbao.

Formed at Athletic Bilbao, he has made over 200 appearances, winning the Supercopa de España twice and also the 2023–24 Copa del Rey.

Club career

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Lekue with Athletic Bilbao in 2018

Born in Bilbao, Basque Country, Lekue graduated from Danok Bat CF's youth system.[2] In summer 2012 he moved to Athletic Bilbao, and made his debut as a senior with the farm team in the Tercera División.[3]

On 21 June 2013, Lekue was promoted to the reserves in the Segunda División B.[4] On 29 June 2015, after being an ever-present figure during the side's promotion to Segunda División after a 19-year absence,[5] he was promoted to the main squad in La Liga.[6]

Lekue made his official debut with the first team on 15 August 2015, coming on as a second-half substitute for fellow youth graduate Sabin Merino in a 4–0 home rout of FC Barcelona in the Supercopa de España.[7][8] He made his first league appearance 15 days later, being taken off at half-time in a 2–0 loss at neighbouring SD Eibar.[9]

Lekue scored his first senior goal on 21 December 2015, equalising for the reserves in a 1–1 home draw against CD Lugo.[10] The following 3 April he scored for the first time in the top flight, opening a 1–1 draw with Granada CF at the San Mamés Stadium.[11] On 8 June 2016, he agreed to a contract extension until 2019.[12]

On 24 November 2016, Lekue netted his first European goal to win a UEFA Europa League group match 3–2 at home to US Sassuolo Calcio.[13] In January 2018, he extended his contract to 2023.[14] He missed most of the 2018–19 season with back issues,[15] returning as a late substitute on 16 March in a 2–0 home win over Atlético Madrid.[16]

Lekue played rarely under Gaizka Garitano, and looked for a new club in the January 2021 transfer window, but was reinstated by new manager Marcelino and won another Super Cup that month, again against Barcelona.[17] That April, he was involved in two Copa del Rey finals in one month, losing both to Real Sociedad and Barcelona respectively; he played the latter 4–0 defeat as a half-time substitute.[18]

In 2022–23, due to injuries to Yuri Berchiche and Mikel Balenziaga, Lekue played frequently. In April, during his own recovery, he prolonged his contract to 2025.[19]

International career

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On 22 May 2016, Lekue was called up to the Spain national team by manager Vicente del Bosque, after Jonny withdrew due to "personal reasons".[20]

Career statistics

[edit]
As of match played 1 December 2024[21][22][23][24]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Copa del Rey Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Basconia 2012–13 Tercera División 34 0 — — — 34 0
Bilbao Athletic 2013–14 Segunda División B 26 0 — — — 26 0
2014–15 31 0 — — 6[a] 0 37 0
2015–16 Segunda División 3 1 — — — 3 1
Total 60 1 0 0 0 0 6 0 66 1
Athletic Bilbao 2015–16 La Liga 20 1 5 0 8[b] 0 1[c] 0 34 1
2016–17 25 2 1 0 5[b] 1 — 31 3
2017–18 32 0 2 0 12[b] 0 — 46 0
2018–19 4 0 0 0 — — 4 0
2019–20 14 0 4 0 — — 18 0
2020–21 18 0 4 0 — 2[c] 0 24 0
2021–22 25 0 4 0 — 0 0 29 0
2022–23 20 0 3 0 — — 23 0
2023–24 27 0 6 0 — — 33 0
2024–25 7 0 0 0 1[b] 0 0 0 8 0
Total 192 3 29 0 26 1 3 0 250 4
Career total 286 4 29 0 26 1 9 0 350 5
  1. ^ Appearances in Segunda División B play-offs
  2. ^ a b c d Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  3. ^ a b Appearances in Supercopa de España

Honours

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Athletic Bilbao

Individual

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Iñigo Lekue". Eurosport. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  2. ^ Ruiz, Pako (23 June 2015). "El lateral Lekue es uno de los 'cachorros' de moda" [Full-back Lekue is one of the fashionable 'pups']. Deia (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 31 August 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  3. ^ Zubieta, Jon (22 June 2015). "Lekue llama a la puerta de Ernesto" [Lekue knocks on Ernesto's door]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  4. ^ "Bilbao Athletic pre-season". Athletic Bilbao. 21 June 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  5. ^ "El Bilbao Athletic, a Segunda 19 años después y el Cádiz tendrá que esperar" [Bilbao Athletic, into Segunda 19 years later and Cádiz will have to wait] (in Spanish). EFE. 28 June 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  6. ^ "Dismissals in Bilbao Athletic". Athletic Bilbao. 29 June 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  7. ^ "Athletic Bilbao 4–0 Barcelona: Aduriz hits hat-trick in Supercopa shocker". Goal. 14 August 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  8. ^ Estepa, Javier (14 August 2015). "Aduriz echa al Barça a los leones" [Aduriz throws Barça to the lions]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 August 2015.
  9. ^ Martínez, Jonathan (30 August 2015). "El liderato lleva el nombre del Eibar" [The leadership carries Eibar's name]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 March 2016.
  10. ^ "Bilbao Athletic y Lugo no cumplen sus objetivos" [Bilbao Athletic and Lugo fail to complete their objectives]. Marca (in Spanish). 21 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  11. ^ "Villarreal tighten grip on top four; Athletic Bilbao held by lowly Granada". ESPN FC. 3 April 2016. Retrieved 3 April 2016.
  12. ^ "Iñigo Lekue's renewal". Athletic Bilbao. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
  13. ^ Campanale, Susy (24 November 2016). "EL: Il Sassuolo esce a Bilbao" [EL: Sassuolo go out in Bilbao] (in Italian). Football Italia. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  14. ^ Velasco, Juanma (16 January 2018). "Lekue renueva hasta 2023" [Lekue renews until 2023]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  15. ^ Suso, Ramón (26 December 2018). "Lekue empieza otra vez de cero" [Lekue starts from square one again]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  16. ^ Velasco, Juanma (20 March 2019). "Lekue: "Quiero que lo que aporte sea de calidad"" [Lekue: "I want what I contribute to be of quality"]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  17. ^ Velasco, Juanma (26 January 2021). "Marcelino sube al tren a Lekue, que ya tenía un pie fuera en este mercado de invierno" [Marcelino gets on board with Lekue, who already had one foot outside in this winter transfer window]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  18. ^ Agiriano, Jon (17 April 2021). "El sueño se convierte en pesadilla" [The dream becomes a nightmare]. El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  19. ^ Mallo, Juanma (23 April 2023). "Lekue renueva hasta 2025" [Lekue renews until 2025]. El Correo (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  20. ^ "Lekue sustituye a Jonny en el grupo de promesas citado por Del Bosque" [Lekue replaces Jonny in the group of prospects called by Del Bosque]. Marca (in Spanish). 22 May 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  21. ^ Iñigo Lekue at Athletic Bilbao
  22. ^ Iñigo Lekue – UEFA competition record (archive)
  23. ^ Iñigo Lekue at Soccerway
  24. ^ Iñigo Lekue at FBref.com Edit this at Wikidata
  25. ^ Reinoso del Real, Mario (7 April 2024). "Athletic 1–1 (4–2) Mallorca, en directo: final de Copa del Rey 2024 | Celebración del Athletic, campeón de Copa" [Athletic 1–1 (4–2) Mallorca, live: 2024 King's Cup final | Celebrations of Athletic, Cup champions]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  26. ^ Lowe, Sid (3 April 2021). "Real Sociedad beat Athletic to claim Copa del Rey and Basque glory". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  27. ^ Lowe, Sid (17 April 2021). "Messi stars as Barcelona thrash Athletic Bilbao to lift Copa del Rey". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  28. ^ "Acta del partido celebrado el 14 de agosto de 2015, en Bilbao" [Minutes of the match held on 14 August 2015, in Bilbao] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
    "Acta del partido celebrado el 17 de agosto de 2015, en Barcelona" [Minutes of the match held on 17 August 2015, in Barcelona] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. Archived from the original on 15 June 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  29. ^ "Acta del partido celebrado el 17 de enero de 2021, en Sevilla" [Minutes of the match held on 17 January 2021, in Seville] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. Archived from the original on 24 January 2021. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  30. ^ "Nico Williams and Iñigo Lekue win LALIGA EA SPORTS Move of the Month for December". La Liga. 6 January 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
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