Ager Aketxe

Athletic Bilbao

Born in Bilbao, Biscay, Basque Country, Aketxe joined Athletic Bilbao's Lezama academy in 2003, aged 9. He made his senior debut with the feeder club CD Basconia in 2011, in the Tercera División. In May 2012, Aketxe was promoted to the second team. He featured regularly for the side, playing all Segunda División B games in his second season. On 2 September 2014, Aketxe was promoted to the main squad in La Liga, being assigned number 23 jersey. He appeared in his first match as a professional on 17 September, coming on as a substitute for Iker Muniain in the 75th minute of a 0–0 home draw against FC Shakhtar Donetsk in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League; however, he sustained a foot injury which put him out of action for six weeks. Aketxe scored his first goal in the Spanish top flight on 17 May 2015, netting his team's first in a 3–2 away win against Elche CF as Athletic came from behind 2–0. In the beginning of 2016, he was moved down back to the B side to help them avoid relegation from Segunda División and gain some minutes. On 27 February he scored a hat-trick in a 4–2 home victory over SD Ponferradina, but they eventually finished in 22nd and last position in spite of his eight goals. On 31 January 2017, after making no appearances during the first half of the campaign due to recovering from a serious knee injury, Aketxe was loaned to Cádiz CF in the second tier until June. On 16 February 2018, Athletic cancelled his contract with…

As of 12 June 2024

Aketxe's older brother, Isaac, was also a footballer; he too was developed at Athletic Bilbao's youth setup. Their father, known as Isaac Aqueche due to spelling conventions of the time, played as a midfielder in the lower divisions of Spanish football including a spell with Athletic's reserves. In May 2016, Aketxe and two others were put on trial for having caused minor injuries to an off-duty ertzaina the previous August during a local festival in his place of residence, the Getxo neighbourhood of Romo.

Athletic Bilbao

Supercopa de España: 2015