Irene Oguiza, with the new Athletic baton

At 21 years old and with nine titles since January, Irene Oguiza (Durango, 01/05/2000) emerge with a new baton in Athletic. As the famous complement of the authorities, the Duranguesa midfielder shows great relevance in the center of the rojiblanco field game after game. After breaking the cruciate ligament in his first game as a starter last 2020, Oguiza has been installed in the starting eleven of Iraia Iturregi and promises become a dominant and determining player.

“It is a pleasure to score goals with this shirt and accumulating minutes with the team makes me very excited”, affirms the young soccer player before the cameras of the Bilbao club. With the 25 on his back, the duranguesa a fixed hole has been made in the midfield of the lionesses since he played his first minutes under Iraia Iturregi in the first team on January 23, before the Santa Teresa.

They were not, however, those of his debut, which was also in January, but 2020. The duranguesa was released under the command of the then coach Ángel Villacampa in a match against Madrid CFF. After that, his projection was severely cut off.

It was in Abegondo, against Deportivo, in his first start with the Athletic first team: Irene Oguiza, with her family in the field, broke her cruciate ligament anterior of the left knee. “My debut in Madrid was a dream come true. After the two games, in A Coruña, I am a starter and everything is cut with the injury. My parents and my brother were in the stands and at the end of the match I had the opportunity to reassure them because they were more nervous than me, “he says.

The red-and-white midfielder was operated on on March 5 and then confinement. “The first months I could not do much, treat the wounds. It was a bad situation for everyone, but I got along well, “says the Duranguesa to the club's cameras.

Irene Oguiza has gone from B, where he also coincided with Iraia Iturregi, to the rojiblanco first team and He has done it to settle down thanks to his intelligence, fortitude and dominance in the center of the field. With almost 1.80 meters high, it unfolds with great subtlety in the middle, where it recovers, passes and orders.

Since his 're-release' in January he has played more than 700 minutes, being a starter in 9 of the ten games he has played. In addition, he has scored five goals, two of them to Eibar, after taking advantage of two set pieces. Many tests and few doubts: Oguiza is here to stay.