MADRID, 13 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Athletic Club midfielder Oihan Sancet believes that “we must be proud of what Lezama represents for Spanish football” at a time when there are five players from this youth team in the Spanish Absolute team, while, on a personal level, there are no He looks “in the best moment” of his career despite having received a call from Luis de la Fuente asking him to play “between the lines” and be “vertical with the ball.”
“This shows that Lezama is a great youth team, that they work very well. You have to be proud of what they represent and that there are so many players here in the national team,” the Athletic youth youth player told Europa Press about sharing a call-up. with Unai Simón, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Aymeric Laporte and Nico Williams, all of them trained at the Vicaina academy.
In addition, these five footballers from Lezama are joined by another four from Real Sociedad, Robin Le Normand, Mikel Merino, Martín Zubimendi and Mikel Oyarzabal, a fact that shows the great health that Basque football is currently experiencing. In this sense, Sancet believes that “in the north people teach very well how to play football.” “There is a high level, the people of the Basque Country really like to play football,” he said..
The Navarrese received his first call up with the Absolute last Friday, with which he made his debut this Thursday against Scotland, with a goal included. “Reaching the senior team is the dream of every player. You train and fight to be at the top, so of course it is a dream and a goal achieved,” explained Sancet who, with a view to the 2030 World Cup, in which San Mamés could be the venue and to which he would arrive at the age of 30, he does not hide that “it would be very nice” to be able to play the event with the ‘Roja’ in ‘La Catedral’.
A first call from Luis de la Fuente that has come after a great start in LaLiga EA Sports on a personal and collective level. “I feel very good, I am very comfortable playing my game with my team, but I don’t think I am in the best moment of my career,” warned a player who scored 10 goals for Athletic last season. Despite this, and after having been undisputed in the Under-21 European Championship, he did not think “much” about the “call” of the national team but rather about focusing on “doing the job well” in his team.
The first days of concentration helped him to verify that his teammates are “an incredible group”, who “welcome new people very well.” “They are all very nice, the young people feel very comfortable and it is clear that they have been together for a long time, and that they have a great wardrobe. Both Bryan (Zaragoza) and I, who are the newest, have been welcomed very well “he noted.
“WE HAVE TO SEIZE THE MOMENT”
In addition, the reception for Sancet has been easier because two clubmates like Nico Williams and Unai Simón are regulars in the Absolute concentrations, while he has also shared a dressing room with many others in the U-19 and U-21 . “I know several who are already in the national team, from having played with them in lower categories or from having played against them, and it helps a lot. Already having a friendship with them makes you integrate faster into the group and the truth is that That has been very good for me,” he highlighted.
Regarding the gear of his game in the national team, the Navarrese explained that he is “accustomed to playing more as ‘8’ or ’10′” and that he “fits well into the playing system” of Spain in the “interior” position. “. “The coach has told me that that is my position and that I have to find my space there. He has asked me what I do at Athletic, to play between the lines and to be vertical with the ball,” he pointed out about the role that Luis de the Source has asked him to perform.
Sancet is aware that this ‘new’ Spain is increasingly forming a more solid and compact block, and that the coach already has a large part of the group that he considers permanent. For this reason, Athletic’s ‘8’ knows that “we have to take advantage of the moment” and not miss “the opportunity” that the Riojan coach has given him. “You have to do your best and see if with that you can return to another concentration,” he commented.
And, if there are no surprises and the three-time European champion gets a ticket to the next Euro 2024 in Germany, there will only be two national team breaks left before the tournament after this one. The continental tournament will take place next summer, in which the Olympic Games will also be held, a tournament in which the Athletic player could also compete. “If I have to choose one of the two, I’ll take the Euro Cup, but I wouldn’t mind going to both,” he confessed.
“SCORE GOALS IS VERY NICE FOR ME AND ALSO YOU HELP THE TEAM”
Oihan Sancet is a midfielder with a lot of arrival and goals, and he is demonstrating this with numbers like those of the last League, in which he scored 10 goals for Athletic. “Scoring goals is very nice for me and you also help the team,” he admitted.
Ten goals with which he managed to be the first player in that position in Athletic to reach double digits in the League after Fran Yeste in the 2003-04 season, a fact that he did not know, but of which he is “very proud”, although he is not satisfied . “Hopefully this year I can do more and help the team,” he hoped.
Athletic once again has a clear objective this season, which is to play European competition again in 2024-2025 and to do so, the international knows that “we have to try to be a little more constant.” “We know that we have started well, but last year we also started well. They are dynamic and streaky, but in those we have to try to be regular and maintain the good that we have for as long as possible to be as high as possible for a long time,” he stated.