Biography
Who is Aritz Aduriz?
Early life and football start
Aritz Aduriz Zubeldia was born in San Sebastián, Spain. His family held a strong interest in athletics, particularly activities like surfing, mountaineering, and cross-country skiing. During his childhood, he demonstrated significant sporting talent in skiing, earning a runner-up spot in the junior national championship. He eventually shifted his focus toward football.
He learned to play the sport on the sandy terrain of La Concha beach. He joined the local youth club Antiguoko, where he played alongside future professionals such as Xabi Alonso, Mikel Arteta, and Andoni Iraola.
Professional career path
He joined the Lezama youth system at Athletic Bilbao at age 19 after moving from the amateur club Aurrerá de Vitoria. He spent two seasons with the reserve team before making his debut for the first team on September 14, 2002, against Barcelona. Following limited appearances, he moved to Burgos CF and then to Real Valladolid to gain more experience in the professional leagues. He returned to Athletic Bilbao in December 2005.
In 2008, he transferred to RCD Mallorca, where he led the team in scoring for two consecutive seasons. In 2010, he signed with Valencia CF for a transfer fee of approximately 4 million euros. He scored on his official debut for the club against Málaga.
Athletic Bilbao success
Aritz rejoined Athletic Bilbao in 2012 for a fee of 2.5 million euros. He quickly became the primary striker, finishing his first season back with 18 official goals. In 2015, he achieved a century of goals in the Spanish top flight during a match against Barcelona. That same year, he helped his team win the Supercopa de España by scoring a hat-trick against Barcelona in the first leg.
He reached the 100-goal mark for the club during a Europa League match against Partizan in November 2015. In November 2016, he achieved a rare feat by scoring all five goals in a 5-3 victory over Genk. Throughout his career, he earned a reputation for scoring difficult goals, including several well-known bicycle kicks.
Retirement and legacy
The player extended his contract with Athletic Bilbao multiple times, including an agreement in 2019. He announced that the 2019-2020 season would be his final year as a professional. In August 2019, he scored a spectacular bicycle kick against Barcelona in the opening league match. This goal allowed him to equal Lionel Messi by scoring in 15 consecutive league seasons.
Injuries impacted his final season, and he missed several months of play during the winter. He made his last appearance as a substitute in a victory over Real Valladolid. On May 20, 2020, Aritz Aduriz officially announced his retirement from professional football. He finished his career having scored 172 goals across all competitions for Athletic Bilbao.
Birthday and age
Aritz Aduriz was born on February 11, 1981, which makes Aritz 45 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aquarius sign. Aritz shares the date with 33 other famous people.
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