In Zubieta, not only did I learn to play football, but also to be responsible and well-behaved. Football has taught me that you have to work hard and be tenacious to reach your targets. Self-belief and humility are the best ways to earn people’s affection.

My first coach in the Real Sociedad Youth team was Patxi Illarramendi, when I was a player for the Under-10 team. For the Under-12, 14 and 16 teams I was under Loren Juarros (a former Real Sociedad player), Josean Rueda, Lutxo Iturrino (another former Real Sociedad player, Mutriku-born and a friend of my father), Iñigo Cortés and Alberto Iturralde. I have good memories of Iñaki Eskisabel even though he never was my coach, because he called-up me for the Real Sociedad B team when I was in the Under-16 team.

I have had very good coaches and learnt a lot from all of them, so I’m very grateful for the confidence they gave me through my Real Sociedad youth era.



My first official game wearing the White-and-blue ‘txuri-urdin’ shirt was for the Canal Plus Tournament played in Brunete (Madrid). In spite of a good performance from our team, Real Madrid knocked-out us, Cherichev and Nacho forming part of the rival team. Who could have guessed that eleven years later we all would be sharing the dressing room in the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium?

That year I played my first tournament for the Euskadi Regional Team, in Cádiz, in the Under-12 category. After that I began my first League competition with the Real Sociedad Under-14 team and gradually my life started to change too.

Four times a week I covered the 100 kilometres round-trip from our home to the Zubieta Training Ground. I used to study and do my homework in the car, as I would not be back home until 10 o’clock. Even though you love football above everything else, that rhythm is very hard for a 12 year-old to maintain, but I knew what I wanted.

Football gives to you and takes from you. I could not enjoy spending time with my friends as much as I would have liked, but football has also brought me new, and good, friends.

When you play for youth teams in a big club you know you’re going to face a lot of problems on the way to the top. But with time, and the confidence you build up year by year, you see that is possible to hit the target. That happens when you play for the B team, my next target: the ‘Sanse’.