Javi Martínez

Athletic Bilbao

Martínez was born in Estella, Navarre and raised in the nearby village of Ayegui; and was a promising basketball player in his youth. Athletic Bilbao signed him as a raw 17-year-old for €6 million in the summer of 2006, from fellow La Liga club Osasuna, despite him never having played a game with the first-team; he had scored three goals in 32 appearances for the reserve team.

Martínez soon became a regular in his debut season with powerful displays, his highlight being scoring twice against in a 2–0 away win against Deportivo La Coruña on 16 December 2006, and finished with 35 games and three goals. He was ever-present again over the following two years, helping Athletic to the final of the Copa del Rey in 2009. In the 2009–10 season, Martínez was the midfield engine once more– 46 official matches, nine goals – and netted a career-best six times in the league campaign as the side narrowly missed on another qualification to the UEFA Europa League. In the 2011–12 season, under new manager Marcelo Bielsa, he began to be used regularly as a central defender, making 50 starts in the demanding role and receiving three red cards during the latter season, which saw them reach another domestic cup final as well as the decisive game in the UEFA Europa League, only to lose both matches 3–0.

Bayern Munich

2012–13 season

On 29 August 2012, after Bayern Munich paid the buyout clause of €40 million in his contract, Martínez signed a five-year…

At the age of 19, Martínez began appearing for Spain's under-21 team, representing the nation at the 2009 UEFA European Championships in Sweden, in a group stage exit. On 20 May 2010, he was named in the senior side's list of 23 for the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, chosen by manager Vicente del Bosque. On 29 May, he made his debut, replacing Barcelona's Xavi in the 74th minute of a 3–2 friendly win against Saudi Arabia, in Innsbruck, Austria; on 3 June he started in another exhibition game, with South Korea (1–0 triumph, in the same venue), playing 80 minutes until he was substituted for David Silva.

Martínez played once in the 2010 World Cup, replacing Xabi Alonso for the final 20 minutes of an 2–1 win against Chile in the group stage on 25 June, as Spain emerged victorious in the tournament. He returned to the under-21 setup for the 2011 European Championships in Denmark, captaining the nation to its third title in the category. Martínez also appeared in one game at UEFA Euro 2012 for the eventual champions, again substituting Alonso midway through the second-half, this time in a 4–0 win against the Republic of Ireland in the group stage. He was described by del Bosque as "a complete player", with the manager comparing him to Patrick Vieira; additionally, he was part of the squad at the 2012 Summer Olympics, which ended in group stage elimination. Martínez was named in Spain's 30-man provisional squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, as well as the final 23-man squad for…

Martínez is a versatile player who can play both as a holding midfielder and as a centre-back; he is also capable of playing as a sweeper in a three-man back-line in a 3–4–3 or 3–5–2 formation, due to his ability to play the ball out from the back. His versatility enabled Bayern Munich's effective adoption of a flexible tactical approach under Pep Guardiola, allowing the team to switch between different formations throughout the course of a single match. In addition to his good tackling, physical power, ability in the air, and defensive awareness, Martínez has also stood out for his passing ability, technique, and vision, as well as his strong mentality, which also enable him to play in a variety of midfield roles, including as a deep-lying playmaker. Ahead of Euro 2012, Garth Crooks described Martínez as "as silky as a bar of Toblerone."

Martínez's older brother, Álvaro, was also a footballer, who played as a defender. Having played mainly in the lower leagues, he had a brief spell in the second division with Eibar. Javi has cited Álvaro as being a positive influence over his early career. In addition to his native Spanish, Martínez also speaks German and English.