Gaizka Mendieta

At 50 years old, Gaizka Mendieta has this physical status:

Gaizka Mendieta Zabala (Spanish pronunciation: [gaj mendjeta saala] Basque [gaj mendieta saala]; born 27 March 1974) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

He played for Valencia, a versatile player with good technique, offensive skills, and tackling skills, who was able to create goals for both his teammates and himself. He has played in La Liga for 263 games and 48 goals over the course of ten seasons.

Mendieta appeared for Spain 40 times in one World Cup and one European Championship, representing the country in one World Cup and one European Championship.

Personal life

Andrés, Mendieta's father, was also a footballer who competed as a goalkeeper. He came from Lekeitio, Biscay, and later played on Castellón's staff, raising his family in the region. Hence, Gaizka emerged from their youth system despite his Basque birthplace.

Ander Herrera and Roberto Rós, two fellow Bilbao-born Spain internationals, had common roots, learning their trade in the cities where their football fathers (Pedro and Eusebio respectively) were based, both professionally. However, both men and his father later signed for Athletic Bilbao, while Mendieta never played for a Basque club; the former starred for Spain in 1968 and 1996 respectively;

As a youth, Mendieta was a natural performer and came close to pursuing middle-distance running as a sport rather than football. He is a huge fan of music, and in particular has a passion for DJing; he appeared on stage at the Benicàssim festival in 2015, where the band Los Planetas' song "Un buen da" featured him in its lyrics;

Ruud Gullit, according to Mendieta, was his footballing hero as an adolescent, due to the Dutchman's eccentric style.

Source

Club career

Mendieta, a native of Bilbao, Basque Country, made his professional debut with CD Castellón in Segunda División at the age of 17, primarily as a full-back.

He signed with Valencia CF for 30 million pesetas, but he spent the majority of his first year with the reserves, scoring 34 of 42 games against Cádiz CF on June 13, 1993, the team's best result since 1990.

Under new manager Claudio Ranieri, Mendieta's breakthrough season was 1997-98. He played in 30 league games and scored ten goals, before making his national team debut. In June 1999, he won his first trophy with the club, defeating Atlético Madrid in the Copa del Rey; he found the net in victories over Levante UD, FC Barcelona (both legs), and Real Madrid, where he volley past goalkeepers.

Mendieta had a much better year in 1999–2000 under new manager Héctor Céper. He aided Valencia in beating Barcelona 4–3 on aggregate to win the Supercopa de Espaa, and he scored a career-best 13 goals while finishing third. However, his team's biggest triumph of the season came as a result of their 0–3 loss to Real Madrid, a fellow league team; later, he was named "Europe Midfielder of the Season" award.

Valencia reached the final of the Champions League last year and lost it again, this time to FC Bayern Munich after a penalty shootout. Mendieta converted his shotout attempt in normal time and earned his team a 1–0 lead, and was also named "UEFA Best Midfielder of the Year" earlier this year.

Mendieta was one of the most in-demand players in the 2001 off-season, selling for a €47.7 million (or 8 billion pesetas) to Italian club S.S. Lazio, making him the sixth most expensive player of all time. However, he disappointed in Serie A, spending just one year in Rome, failing to compare the achievements of former playmakers Pavel Nedvd and Juan Sebastián Verón.

Mendieta was loaned to Barcelona for the 2002-03 season, but the Catalans could only finish sixth, and he later moved to Middlesbrough, opting for the Premier League over Spain's (Atlético Madrid and Athletic Bilbao) due to his desire to play in England.

Mendieta was a member of the Football League Cup in his first season as a player, winning the Football League Cup for the first time. The transfer fee was waived in July 2004 and was made permanent.

Mendieta was recalled to the substitutes bench after two years, after a string of injuries (including one that caused him to miss the 2006 UEFA Cup Final) and long stretches of regaining match fitness. He fell out of favour with boss Gareth Southgate, who made it clear that the player had no longer been involved in his first team selections. According to reports, Real Sociedad, Athletic Bilbao, and Málaga CF were interested in purchasing the midfielder in the 2007 transfer window, but no concrete agreement was reached and the transfer deadline was ever reached; the player was supposed to have signed the player to the Los Angeles Galaxy, but he will continue to fight for his position at Middlesbrough. Boro chief executive Keith Lamb dismissed his remarks, saying there was "no chance" of him being in the first team a day later. He played his last game against Everton on December 26, 2006.

Mendieta announced his retirement from professional football after his Middlesbrough deal came to an end in 2007, according to a Spanish newspaper, bringing an unprecedented 17-year career to an end.

When interviewed by the BBC on September 3, Mendieta said that a part of him may be interested in football management. "Apart of me can see the excitement and challenge of being a boss," he said. He and his family lived in Yarm near Middlesbrough after retiring.

International career

Mendieta was a member of the Spain under-21 team, which finished runner-up in the UEFA European Championships in March/May 1996. He made his senior debut on March 27, 1999, appearing as a replacement for Juan Carlos Valerón in a 9–0 loss of Austria for UEFA Euro 2000's qualifying stages, helping the national team reach the last eight countries.

Despite his form slump at Lazio, Mendieta was selected for the team at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in three matches against South Africa (3–2 win) and scoring the winning penalty in Spain's second-round match against the Republic of Ireland. In a friendly with Bulgaria in Granada four months after the World Cup, he earned the last of his 40 caps.

For the unofficial Basque Country regional team, Mendieta also participated and scored.

Career statistics

Appearances and goals of the national team and year-old.

International goals

Source