Mikel Arteta
Encyclopedia
Mikel Arteta Amatriain (born 26 March 1982) is a Spanish
footballer who plays for Arsenal
as a midfielder
.
Arteta started out as a trainee with FC Barcelona
but could not break his way into the first team and was eventually loaned to Paris Saint-Germain in the French league
. He was then signed by Scottish Premier League
club Rangers
with whom he would win the domestic treble of the league, Scottish Cup
and League Cup
in the season of 2002–03. After success in Scotland
, Arteta moved to back to Spain to play for Real Sociedad
but failed to establish himself within the first team and was loaned to Everton
for the remainder of the 2004–05 season, prior to signing permanently in July 2005. He then made a permanent transfer to Arsenal
in 2011.
Arteta has represented Spain at under-21 level
, but he has not played for the senior national team
.
, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country
, Arteta began his football career at the local side Antiguoko
and befriended fellow midfielder Xabi Alonso
as they would play together every weekend. The two would often play along the beaches of San Sebastián
and dreamed of playing together at Real Sociedad
when they were older. Arteta left for the FC Barcelona B
squad at 15 years of age while Alonso signed for Real Sociedad later. Despite his potential Arteta failed to break into the first team, and went out on loan to French
club Paris Saint-Germain in 2000.
club Rangers
in 2002, winning the 2003 Scottish Premier League
title as well as the Scottish Cup
and Scottish League Cup
. Arteta enjoyed a successful first season at Rangers
and quickly established himself as a first team regular and a fans' favourite. He returned to Spain after two seasons in Glasgow.
for €5.2 million in 2004 with the idea of Arteta and Alonso playing together. However, Alonso left for Liverpool
and Arteta failed to establish himself in the team.
Manager David Moyes signed Arteta in the 2005 January transfer window on loan with a view to a permanent transfer. Seen as a replacement for Danish midfielder Thomas Gravesen
, Arteta played a vital part in helping Everton achieve UEFA Champions League
qualification possibility, however they were knocked out in the last qualifying round. He scored his first Everton goal in the 4–0 victory over Crystal Palace
. Arteta signed a permanent five-year deal in July 2005 for a fee of £2 million.
The 2005–06 season saw Arteta pick up both the Everton Fans' Player of the Season and the Players' Player of the Season awards. Arteta's good form extended into 2006–07. As well as retaining his starting place, he frequently turned in man-of-the-match displays, and finished the season with nine goals from the 35 league games he played. Arteta was awarded the Player of the Season Award for the second consecutive year. He was also voted the Premiership's 'Midfielder of the Year' by the readers of Sky Sports
, beating PFA Players' Player of the Year
Cristiano Ronaldo
.
Arteta's creativity was an essential part of Everton's attacking play the following season, and he had scored six goals by the end of January. That improved further a season later, scoring nine times in the 2006–07 season and once again ending the season as the Player of the Year. He helped Everton secure a place in the UEFA Cup and was ranked by the ACTIM Index as the sixth best player in the Premiership but it did not earn him a call-up into the full Spain squad. During the summer of 2007, he signed a new five-year contract.
Arteta added another accolade to his growing collection during the 2007–08 season, when he picked up North West Footballer of the Year award. He then became the first Everton player in five years to receive the Liverpool Echo
's Sports Personality of the Year award in January 2008.
Arteta suffered a stomach injury in the second half of the season, and shortly before the final game of the campaign, he underwent surgery to rectify the problem. He scored his first goal of the 2008–09 season in the Premier League opener versus with a free kick. He was named captain for a 2–2 draw with , scoring a penalty in the game. In February, Arteta was carried off on a stretcher
in a 0–0 draw with Newcastle
having injured a ligament
in his knee
, days after his first inclusion in the Spanish national team squad. The injury kept him out for the rest of the 2008–09 season and the first five months of 2009–10.
Arteta made his return from injury in January 2010 as a substitute in an FA Cup
tie against Birmingham City
, before starting in a 2–1 home Premier League win against Chelsea
. His first two goals of the season were scored in a 5–1 win over in March 2010. In August that year he signed a five-year contract extension with Everton.
Upon departing Everton, Arteta said “I am 29 years old so I haven’t got much time left to take a chance like this one. I have done my best for Everton." A few weeks later he revealed to the
Liverpool Echo
that the spirit in Everton's dressing room is the 'best in football'.
on 31 August 2011 on a four-year deal for a reported fee of £10 million. He made his debut on 10 September in a 1–0 home win against Swansea City
. Arteta scored his first Premier League goal for Arsenal in a 4–3 loss against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park
. He scored his second goal for the club in a 3–0 home win against West Bromwich Albion as he begins to comfortably settle into his playmaking role at his new club.
national football teams. The Basque team are not affiliated to FIFA
or a regional confederation but play exhibition games. Arteta has played for Spain at Under 16, Under 17, Under 18 and Under 21 levels but has not played for the full international team. He represented Spain in the U16 European Championships, UEFA-CAF Meridian Cup, FIFA U17 World Cup and captained Spain in the U21 European Championships qualifying campaign.
In August 2010, several British news organisations erroneously reported that Arteta would be eligible to play for the England national football team
due to his eligibility for a British passport. The player is not eligible for England because FIFA Statutes stipulate that the player needs to have held a British passport at the time when he represented Spain at the U16 European Championships and in addition he would have required five years of education in Britain before turning 18.
In November 2011, Arteta reiterated his desire to one day represent his country at International level. "It’s one of my targets and I won’t stop going for it because I really want to represent my country". He went on to praise the current Spanish midfield as "the best midfield the world has ever seen".
, it is only since being moved to a more attacking role by David Moyes that Arteta's career has truly begun to flourish. Although he achieved moderate success from central midfield with PSG and Rangers, his move to a more attacking role saw him rated as the sixth most effective player in the Premier League in 2006–07
by the official player ratings system the Actim Index
.
His style of play is characterised by excellent close control and dribbling, which coupled with short bursts of acceleration allows him to eliminate defenders with relative ease.
With 100 fouls committed against him in the 2006/07 season he was the most fouled player in the Premier League.
Additionally, he has proved an extremely potent creative force thanks mainly to his pinpoint crossing ability and propensity for the killer pass, with his total of 12 league assists in the 2006–07 season being second to Cesc Fàbregas
and Cristiano Ronaldo
.
Arteta although believed to be right footed has himself said that he considers his left foot to be the stronger.
Rangers
Lorena Bernal
. with whom he has a son. He is close friends with Xabi Alonso
, who plays for Real Madrid. The two used to be neighbours at Liverpool's Albert Dock
apartment complex.
Arteta is multilingual, speaking fluent Spanish
, Basque
and Catalan
. He speaks English
and some French
and Italian
. He is also learning Portuguese
.
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
footballer who plays for Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
.
Arteta started out as a trainee with FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
but could not break his way into the first team and was eventually loaned to Paris Saint-Germain in the French league
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
. He was then signed by Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
club Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
with whom he would win the domestic treble of the league, Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
and League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
in the season of 2002–03. After success in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, Arteta moved to back to Spain to play for Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in the city of San Sebastián, Basque Country, founded on 7 September 1909...
but failed to establish himself within the first team and was loaned to Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
for the remainder of the 2004–05 season, prior to signing permanently in July 2005. He then made a permanent transfer to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
in 2011.
Arteta has represented Spain at under-21 level
Spain national under-21 football team
The Spain national under-21 football team, is the national under-21 football team of Spain and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation. The team, nicknamed La Rojita , competes in the biannual European Under-21 Football Championship.Following the realignment of UEFA's youth...
, but he has not played for the senior national team
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
.
Early career
Born in San SebastiánSan Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
, Arteta began his football career at the local side Antiguoko
Antiguoko
Antiguoko Kirol Elkartea is an amateur youth Spanish football club based in Antiguo, a part of San Sebastián, in the Basque Country.It acts as feeder club to Real Sociedad, twice La Liga champions in the 80's....
and befriended fellow midfielder Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso
Xabier "Xabi" Alonso Olano is a Spanish World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Real Madrid as a midfielder.Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home region Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at Eibar he returned to Sociedad where then manager John Toshack appointed...
as they would play together every weekend. The two would often play along the beaches of San Sebastián
San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
and dreamed of playing together at Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in the city of San Sebastián, Basque Country, founded on 7 September 1909...
when they were older. Arteta left for the FC Barcelona B
FC Barcelona B
Futbol Club Barcelona B is a Spanish football team. They are the reserve team of FC Barcelona. Reserve teams in the Spanish football league system play in the same football pyramid as their senior team rather than a separate league. However reserve teams cannot play in the same division as their...
squad at 15 years of age while Alonso signed for Real Sociedad later. Despite his potential Arteta failed to break into the first team, and went out on loan to French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
club Paris Saint-Germain in 2000.
Rangers
Arteta joined ScottishScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
club Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
in 2002, winning the 2003 Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
title as well as the Scottish Cup
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
and Scottish League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
. Arteta enjoyed a successful first season at Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
and quickly established himself as a first team regular and a fans' favourite. He returned to Spain after two seasons in Glasgow.
Real Sociedad
He joined Real SociedadReal Sociedad
Real Sociedad de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in the city of San Sebastián, Basque Country, founded on 7 September 1909...
for €5.2 million in 2004 with the idea of Arteta and Alonso playing together. However, Alonso left for Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and Arteta failed to establish himself in the team.
Everton
EvertonEverton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
Manager David Moyes signed Arteta in the 2005 January transfer window on loan with a view to a permanent transfer. Seen as a replacement for Danish midfielder Thomas Gravesen
Thomas Gravesen
Thomas Gravesen is a retired Danish professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He has played for teams such as Hamburger SV, Everton F.C., Real Madrid CF and Celtic F.C.....
, Arteta played a vital part in helping Everton achieve UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
qualification possibility, however they were knocked out in the last qualifying round. He scored his first Everton goal in the 4–0 victory over Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
. Arteta signed a permanent five-year deal in July 2005 for a fee of £2 million.
The 2005–06 season saw Arteta pick up both the Everton Fans' Player of the Season and the Players' Player of the Season awards. Arteta's good form extended into 2006–07. As well as retaining his starting place, he frequently turned in man-of-the-match displays, and finished the season with nine goals from the 35 league games he played. Arteta was awarded the Player of the Season Award for the second consecutive year. He was also voted the Premiership's 'Midfielder of the Year' by the readers of Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
, beating PFA Players' Player of the Year
PFA Players' Player of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Players' Player of the Year is an annual award given to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the year in English football...
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
.
Arteta's creativity was an essential part of Everton's attacking play the following season, and he had scored six goals by the end of January. That improved further a season later, scoring nine times in the 2006–07 season and once again ending the season as the Player of the Year. He helped Everton secure a place in the UEFA Cup and was ranked by the ACTIM Index as the sixth best player in the Premiership but it did not earn him a call-up into the full Spain squad. During the summer of 2007, he signed a new five-year contract.
Arteta added another accolade to his growing collection during the 2007–08 season, when he picked up North West Footballer of the Year award. He then became the first Everton player in five years to receive the Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
The Liverpool Echo is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Saturday, and is Liverpool's evening newspaper while its sister paper, the Liverpool Daily Post, is the morning paper...
's Sports Personality of the Year award in January 2008.
Arteta suffered a stomach injury in the second half of the season, and shortly before the final game of the campaign, he underwent surgery to rectify the problem. He scored his first goal of the 2008–09 season in the Premier League opener versus with a free kick. He was named captain for a 2–2 draw with , scoring a penalty in the game. In February, Arteta was carried off on a stretcher
Stretcher
A stretcher is a medical device used to carry casualties or an incapacitated person from one place to another. It is a simple type of litter, and still called by that name in some cases....
in a 0–0 draw with Newcastle
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
having injured a ligament
Ligament
In anatomy, the term ligament is used to denote any of three types of structures. Most commonly, it refers to fibrous tissue that connects bones to other bones and is also known as articular ligament, articular larua, fibrous ligament, or true ligament.Ligament can also refer to:* Peritoneal...
in his knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
, days after his first inclusion in the Spanish national team squad. The injury kept him out for the rest of the 2008–09 season and the first five months of 2009–10.
Arteta made his return from injury in January 2010 as a substitute in an FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
tie against Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, before starting in a 2–1 home Premier League win against Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
. His first two goals of the season were scored in a 5–1 win over in March 2010. In August that year he signed a five-year contract extension with Everton.
Upon departing Everton, Arteta said “I am 29 years old so I haven’t got much time left to take a chance like this one. I have done my best for Everton." A few weeks later he revealed to the
Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
The Liverpool Echo is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Saturday, and is Liverpool's evening newspaper while its sister paper, the Liverpool Daily Post, is the morning paper...
that the spirit in Everton's dressing room is the 'best in football'.
Arsenal
Arteta signed with ArsenalArsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
on 31 August 2011 on a four-year deal for a reported fee of £10 million. He made his debut on 10 September in a 1–0 home win against Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
. Arteta scored his first Premier League goal for Arsenal in a 4–3 loss against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...
. He scored his second goal for the club in a 3–0 home win against West Bromwich Albion as he begins to comfortably settle into his playmaking role at his new club.
International career
Mikel Arteta is eligible for the Basque Country and the SpanishSpain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
national football teams. The Basque team are not affiliated to FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
or a regional confederation but play exhibition games. Arteta has played for Spain at Under 16, Under 17, Under 18 and Under 21 levels but has not played for the full international team. He represented Spain in the U16 European Championships, UEFA-CAF Meridian Cup, FIFA U17 World Cup and captained Spain in the U21 European Championships qualifying campaign.
In August 2010, several British news organisations erroneously reported that Arteta would be eligible to play for the England national football team
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
due to his eligibility for a British passport. The player is not eligible for England because FIFA Statutes stipulate that the player needs to have held a British passport at the time when he represented Spain at the U16 European Championships and in addition he would have required five years of education in Britain before turning 18.
In November 2011, Arteta reiterated his desire to one day represent his country at International level. "It’s one of my targets and I won’t stop going for it because I really want to represent my country". He went on to praise the current Spanish midfield as "the best midfield the world has ever seen".
Style of play
While initially thought of as a "pivot" or defensive midfielder in the mould of his hero Josep GuardiolaJosep Guardiola
Josep "Pep" Guardiola i Sala , is a Spanish football manager and former player. Guardiola played as a defensive midfielder and spent the majority of his playing career with FC Barcelona, whom he currently manages. He was part of Johan Cruyff's dream team that won Barcelona's first European Cup....
, it is only since being moved to a more attacking role by David Moyes that Arteta's career has truly begun to flourish. Although he achieved moderate success from central midfield with PSG and Rangers, his move to a more attacking role saw him rated as the sixth most effective player in the Premier League in 2006–07
FA Premier League 2006-07
The 2006–07 FA Premier League was the fifteenth season of the FA Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The season started on 19 August 2006 and concluded on 13 May 2007....
by the official player ratings system the Actim Index
Actim Index
The Actim Index is the official player ratings system of the Barclays Premiership, Coca-Cola Championship, and Scottish Premier League. It is compiled and distributed by PA Sport, a subsidiary of the Press Association...
.
His style of play is characterised by excellent close control and dribbling, which coupled with short bursts of acceleration allows him to eliminate defenders with relative ease.
With 100 fouls committed against him in the 2006/07 season he was the most fouled player in the Premier League.
Additionally, he has proved an extremely potent creative force thanks mainly to his pinpoint crossing ability and propensity for the killer pass, with his total of 12 league assists in the 2006–07 season being second to Cesc Fàbregas
Cesc Fàbregas
Francesc "Cesc" Fàbregas i Soler is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central midfielder for La Liga club FC Barcelona.Fàbregas started his career as a trainee with Barcelona but was signed by Premier League side Arsenal in September 2003 at the age of 16...
and Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH, , commonly known as Cristiano Ronaldo, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid and is the captain of the Portuguese national team...
.
Arteta although believed to be right footed has himself said that he considers his left foot to be the stronger.
Club
Statistics accurate as of 23 November 2011| Club | Season | League | Cup1 | Europe | Total | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | ||||||||||
| Barcelona B FC Barcelona B Futbol Club Barcelona B is a Spanish football team. They are the reserve team of FC Barcelona. Reserve teams in the Spanish football league system play in the same football pyramid as their senior team rather than a separate league. However reserve teams cannot play in the same division as their... |
1999–02 | 422 | 32 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 422 | 32 | – | ||||||||
| Total | 422 | 32 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 422 | 32 | – | |||||||||
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2000–01 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| 2001–02 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 4 | 0 | |||||||||
| Total | 31 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 53 | 5 | 0 | |||||||||
| Rangers Rangers F.C. Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses... |
2002–03 | 27 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 5 | 0 | ||||||||
| 2003–04 | 23 | 8 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 9 | 0 | |||||||||
| Total | 50 | 12 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 68 | 14 | 0 | |||||||||
| Real Sociedad Real Sociedad Real Sociedad de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in the city of San Sebastián, Basque Country, founded on 7 September 1909... |
2004–05 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 15 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Total | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Everton Everton F.C. Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football... | 2004–05 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | 13 | 1 | 2 | |||
| 2005–06 | 29 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 3 | 7 | |||||||||
| 2006–07 | 35 | 9 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | – | 39 | 9 | 12 | |||||||||||
| 2007–08 | 28 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 37 | 4 | 7 | |||||||||
| 2008–09 | 26 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 7 | 7 | |||||||||
| 2009–10 | 13 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 6 | 2 | |||||||||
| 2010–11 | 29 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | – | 33 | 3 | 4 | |||||||||||
| 2011–12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | 3 | 2 | 0 | |||||||||||
| Total | 174 | 27 | 41 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 208 | 33 | 41 | |||||||||
| Arsenal Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups... |
2011–12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 1 | ||||||||
| Total | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||
| Career total | 321 | 47 | 42 | 40 | 5 | 0 | 40 | 6 | 0 | 400 | 58 | 42 | |||||||||
Club
Paris Saint-Germain- UEFA Intertoto CupUEFA Intertoto CupThe UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
(1): 2001
Rangers
- Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier LeagueThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
(1): 2002–03Scottish Premier League 2002-03The 2002–03 Scottish Premier League was won by Rangers.As league champions, Rangers qualified for the UEFA Champions League, with runners-up Celtic also qualifying... - Scottish CupScottish CupThe Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,, commonly known as the Scottish Cup or the William Hill Scottish Cup for sponsorship purposes, is the main national cup competition in Scottish football. It is a knockout cup competition run by and named after the Scottish Football Association.The...
(1): 2002–032003 Scottish Cup FinalThe 2003 Scottish Cup Final was played on 31 May 2003 at Hampden Park in Glasgow and was the final of the 117th Scottish Cup. The final was contested by Dundee and Rangers. Rangers won the match 1–0 with a Lorenzo Amoruso goal.-Match details:... - Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
(1): 2002–032003 Scottish League Cup FinalThe 2003 Scottish League Cup Final was played on 16 March 2003 at Hampden Park in Glasgow and was the final of the 56th Scottish League Cup. The final was contested by Celtic and Rangers. Rangers won the match 2–1, thanks to goals from Claudio Caniggia and Peter Løvenkrands...
International
Spain- UEFA European Under-16 Football ChampionshipUEFA European Under-17 Football ChampionshipThe UEFA U-17 Championship is an annual football competition organised by the sport's European governing body, UEFA. From 1982 to 2001 it was an Under-16 event.This meeting serves as a preliminary competition for the FIFA U-17 World Cup every other year....
: 19991999 UEFA European Under-16 Football ChampionshipThe 1999 UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship was the 17th edition of UEFA's European Under-16 Football Championship. Czech Republic hosted the championship, during April 24 - May 7, 1999... - UEFA-CAF Meridian CupUEFA-CAF Meridian CupThe UEFA/CAF Meridian Cup features Under-18 representative sides from Europe and Africa, and is part of the co-operation programme between UEFA and the CAF.-Meridian Project:...
: 1999
Individual
- Everton Player of the Season (2): 2005–062005–06 Everton F.C. seasonDuring the 2005–06 English football season, Everton F.C. competed in the FA Premier League.-Season summary:Despite finishing in the coveted fourth place last season, Everton suffered a downturn this season. Early exits from both the Champions League and the UEFA Cup took their toll on player...
, 2006–072006–07 Everton F.C. seasonThe 2006–07 of Everton F.C. saw Everton compete in the FA Premier League.-Season summary:Everton finished in sixth place in the Premier League table – enough for participation in the 2007–08 UEFA Cup.-Squad:... - Everton Players' Player of the Season (1): 2005–062005–06 Everton F.C. seasonDuring the 2005–06 English football season, Everton F.C. competed in the FA Premier League.-Season summary:Despite finishing in the coveted fourth place last season, Everton suffered a downturn this season. Early exits from both the Champions League and the UEFA Cup took their toll on player...
- Sky Sports Midfielder of the Year (1): 2006–07
- North West Player of the Year (1): 2006–07
Personal life
Arteta's wife is the former Miss SpainMiss Spain
Miss España is the main annual beauty pageant of Spain that selects the official representative to the Miss Universe pageant. Runners-up go to Miss World, Miss International and Miss Earth.-History:...
Lorena Bernal
Lorena Bernal
Lorena Bernal Pascual is an actress and model with Argentine and Spanish nationality.-Early life:...
. with whom he has a son. He is close friends with Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso
Xabier "Xabi" Alonso Olano is a Spanish World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Real Madrid as a midfielder.Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home region Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at Eibar he returned to Sociedad where then manager John Toshack appointed...
, who plays for Real Madrid. The two used to be neighbours at Liverpool's Albert Dock
Albert Dock
The Albert Dock is a complex of dock buildings and warehouses in Liverpool, England. Designed by Jesse Hartley and Philip Hardwick, it was opened in 1846, and was the first structure in Britain to be built from cast iron, brick and stone, with no structural wood...
apartment complex.
Arteta is multilingual, speaking fluent Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Basque
Basque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
and Catalan
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
. He speaks English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and some French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
. He is also learning Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
.
External links
- Profile at Transfermarkt.co.uk
- Profile at evertonfc.com
- Profile at Yahoo! Sports
- Profile at 4thegame.com
- Photos and stats at sporting-heroes.net
- Mikel Arteta's Premier League profile