Zuhaitz Gurrutxaga

Born in Elgoibar, Gipuzkoa, Gurrutxaga played four La Liga seasons with Real Sociedad, but was almost always a fringe player during his spell, his best output being 16 games in his first year. He made his debut in the competition on 23 January 2000 in a 1–1 away draw against Atlético Madrid, being sent off in the process. After leaving Sociedad in the summer of 2004, following a short loan spell in the second division with Algeciras CF, Gurrutxaga resumed his career in the lower leagues, the sole exception being the 2009–10 campaign with Real Unión (24 matches, team relegation from the second tier).

Gurrutxaga was the front man and lead singer of Van Popel, an unattached band who toured mostly within the Basque Country. In November 2023, he published the biographical Subcampeón with the publishing house Libros del KO, a book co-written with writer and journalist Ander Izagirre, in which he looks back on his career, filled with anecdotes, and also recounts the mental health problems caused by not having had the tools to cope with the pressure to which a professional athlete is exposed.

Spain U16

UEFA European Under-16 Championship: 1997