Mikel Arteta
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| Mikel Arteta | ||
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| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mikel Arteta Amatriain | |
| Date of birth | 26 March 1982 | |
| Place of birth | San Sebastián, Spain | |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | |
| Playing position | Midfielder | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | Everton | |
| Number | 10 | |
| Youth clubs | ||
| 1997–2000 | FC Barcelona Youth | |
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 2000–2002 2000–2002 2002–2004 2004–2005 2005 2005– |
FC Barcelona B → PSG (loan) Rangers Real Sociedad → Everton (loan) Everton |
0 (0) 31 (2) 50 (12) 15 (1) 12 (1) 103 (13) |
| National team2 | ||
| Spain U-21 | 7 (1) | |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
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- This is a Spanish name; the first family name is Arteta and the second is Amatriain.
Mikel Arteta Amatriain (born 26 March 1982 in San Sebastián, Guipuscoa, Spain) is a Spanish professional footballer. He is a midfielder, currently playing in the English Premiership for Everton.
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[edit] Early career
Arteta began his football career at the local side Antiguoko and befriended fellow midfielder Xabi Alonso. The twosome would often play along the beaches of San Sebastián and dreamed of playing together at Real Sociedad when they were older. However, Mikel left for the FC Barcelona B squad at 15 years of age while Xabi signed for Real Sociedad later. Despite his potential Arteta failed to break into the first team, and went out on loan with Paris Saint-Germain in 2002.
He joined Scottish club Rangers in 2002 for £6 million where he remained for two seasons, 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' favorite. However, injuries and loss of form blighted his second season and he was forced to move on once again.
He joined Real Sociedad, his hometown club, in 2004 as a replacement for Liverpool-bound Alonso but failed to establish himself in the team.
[edit] Everton
Everton 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. He scored his first Everton goal in the 4-0 defeat of Crystal Palace. Arteta signed a five year deal in July 2005 for a fee of £2 million.
In the UEFA Champions League 3rd Qualifying round Arteta scored a free-kick from just outside the box, his second goal for the club.[1]
The 2005–06 season saw Arteta pick up both the Everton Player of the Season Award (voted by the fans) and the Player's Player of the Season Award (voted by his teammates).[2] 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.[2] He was also voted the Premiership's 'Midfielder of the Year' by the readers of skysports.com, beating footballer of the year Cristiano Ronaldo.[3]
Arteta carried that rich vein of form into the following season where his creativity was an essential part of Everton's attacking play. He had also added goals to his game, notching six goals by the end of January.[4]
That improved further a season later, netting nine times in the 2006/07 and once again ending the season as the Player of the Year.
He helped Everton secure Uefa Cup football and was ranked by the ACTIM Index as the sixth best player in the Premiership but that was still not enough to earn him a call-up into the full Spain squad.[5]
During the summer of 2007 he signed a new five-year contract, extending his stay at Goodison until 2012.[6]
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 niggling stomach injury in the second half of the season, meaning his effectiveness was reduced. Shortly before the final game of the campaign, he underwent surgery to rectify the problem.[7]
Mikel scored his first goal of the 2008-2009 season in the Premier League opener versus Blackburn with a free kick into the left hand side of the post. He is on his way to regaining his previous best form after that niggling injury last year which affected his performances.[8]For the 2-2 draw with Newcastle United he proudly captined the side. He also scored in this game, coolly sending the Newcastle keeper the wrong way from the penalty spot.
[edit] Style of play
While initially thought of as a "pivote" or defensive midfielder in the mould of his hero Josep Guardiola,[9] it is only since being moved to the wing 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 the wing 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.[10][11]
This ability to beat his man has made him an increasingly difficult opponent for opposition defenders, exemplified by the fact that with 100 fouls committed against him last year he is the most fouled player in the Premier League.[12]. He has said himself that he learned some of his tricks and skill from Jay-Jay Okocha and Ronaldinho who he played behind at PSG. Arteta also revealed that his favourite player was the skillful Claudio Caniggia who he played with at Glasgow Rangers. Arteta is considered by many to be Everton's most skillful player since the days of "The Holy Trinity" (Harvey, Kendall and Ball) and "The School of Science". Arteta's skillfulness and being played on the wing in a team who, until recently, had limited success makes him resemble cult-hero Kanchelskis of the Everton team of the '90s - Joe Royle's "Dogs of War"
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 13 league assists[13] in the 2006-07 season being second only to Cristiano Ronaldo. He is also renowned for his ability from set pieces, with 14 of Everton's 52 league goals last season coming from an Arteta free kick or corner.
[edit] International
Arteta has made seven appearances, scoring once for the Spanish U-21 side, Although born in Spain, Arteta may soon become eligible to play for England under the FIFA five-year residency rule. In October 2008, a group of Everton fans began an online campaign to get the midfielder selected. Arteta has said in a interview to Football365.com that he still hopes to play for Spain one day. [14]
[edit] Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | ||
| Everton | 2004–05 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | 2 |
| 2005–06 | 29 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 3 | 7 | |
| 2006–07 | 35 | 9 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 9 | 14 | |
| 2007–08 | 23 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 31 | 4 | 9 | |
| Total | 99 | 12 | 30 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 119 | 17 | 32 | |
[edit] Honours
Scottish Cup: 2003
Scottish League Cup: 2003
Everton Player of the Season: 2006, 2007
Everton Player's Player of the Season: 2006
skysports.com Midfielder of the Year: 2007
North West Player of the Year: 2007
[edit] Personal life
Arteta's fiancée is the former 'Miss Spain' Lorena Bernal and they are due to get married in July 2009.[15] He is close friends with Xabi Alonso, who plays for Everton's rivals Liverpool F.C. The two are neighbours in Liverpool's Albert Dock apartment complex.[15] Other neighbours include Liverpool's Pepe Reina, Everton team mate Nuno Valente and Barnsley's Anderson Silva. He also shares a close friendship with Everton teammate Tim Cahill.
Arteta is multilingual, speaking fluent Spanish, Basque and Catalan. He speaks English and some French and Italian. He is also learning Portuguese.[16]
[edit] References
- ^ Mikel Arteta scores a brilliant free-kick from just outside the box
- ^ a b "Squad Profiles: Mikel Arteta". www.evertonfc.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-01.
- ^ "Midfielder of the year". www.evertonfc.com. Retrieved on 17 June, 2007.
- ^ http://www.evertonfc.com/player-profile/mikel-arteta
- ^ http://www.evertonfc.com/player-profile/mikel-arteta
- ^ http://www.evertonfc.com/player-profile/mikel-arteta
- ^ http://www.evertonfc.com/player-profile/mikel-arteta
- ^ http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/everton-fc/everton-fc-news/2008/08/18/it-s-up-to-us-to-lift-goodison-gloom-mikel-arteta-100252-21552841/
- ^ Arteta: Artist of Goodison | the Daily Mail
- ^ Moyes praises artful Arteta | the Daily Mail
- ^ Five-star Arteta can leave Ronaldo in his tracks | the Daily Mail
- ^ ESPNsoccernet: Mikel Arteta
- ^ ESPNsoccernet: Mikel Arteta
- ^ "Arteta has no England ambition", Football365.com (2008-10-17). Retrieved on 22 October 2008.
- ^ a b "Arteta: Artist of Goodison". Retrieved on 17 August, 2007.
- ^ Arteta's Love Affair with Everton
[edit] External links
- Mikel Arteta MySpace
- Mikel Arteta career stats at Soccerbase
- Profile at evertonfc.com
- Profile at Yahoo! Sports
- Profile at 4thegame.com
- Photos and stats at sporting-heroes.net
- (French) Mikel Arteta French league stats at lfp.fr
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