Amaia Peña Explained

Amaia Peña
Fullname:Amaia Peña de las Heras
Birth Date:1998 11, df=yes
Birth Place:Getxo, Spain[1]
Height:1.76 m[2]
Position:Goalkeeper
Currentclub:Eibar (on loan from Athletic Club)
Youthyears1:2010–2012
Youthclubs1:Pauldarrak
Years1:2012–2014
Clubs1:Pauldarrak
Years2:2014–2016
Clubs2:Athletic Club B
Caps2:31
Goals2:0
Collegeyears1:2016–2020
College1:Pittsburgh Panthers
Collegecaps1:35
Collegegoals1:0
Years4:2020–
Clubs4:Athletic Club
Caps4:9
Goals4:0
Years5:2021–2022
Clubs5:Eibar (loan)
Caps5:6
Goals5:0
Years6:2023–
Clubs6:Eibar (loan)
Caps6:1
Goals6:0
Nationalyears1:2015
Nationalteam1:Spain U17
Nationalcaps1:4
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalyears2:2016
Nationalteam2:Spain U19
Nationalcaps2:7
Nationalgoals2:0
Nationalyears3:2022–
Nationalcaps3:1
Nationalgoals3:0
Pcupdate:06:46, 17 December 2023 (UTC)
Ntupdate:06:46, 17 December 2023 (UTC)

Amaia Peña de las Heras (born 22 November 1998) is a Spanish footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Eibar, on loan from Athletic Club.

Club career

Born in Getxo and raised in Portugalete, Peña started her career at Pauldarrak.[3] She joined Athletic Club in 2014,[4] appearing for their reserve team for two seasons. She then moved to the United States to study at the University of Pittsburgh, where she played for their NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship team, the Panthers.[5]

Upon completing her four-year degree course (in marketing and supply chain management) and returning to Spain in 2020, she again signed for Athletic,[6] [7] this time to compete for a place in the senior team with Andrea de la Nava (a former teammate at Pauldarrak), making six Primera División appearances in the 2020–21 season. With the arrival of Mariasun Quiñones that summer to be the first choice at Lezama, Peña joined Eibar on a one-year loan deal,[8] where she was a back-up option behind Malena Mieres and Noelia García.

Having signed a new contract tying her to Athletic until the summer of 2025,[9] Peña was loaned to Eibar again for the 2023–24 season;[10] however, as in her first spell there she was unable to establish herself in the side, with María Miralles and Noelia selected ahead of her when available.

International career

Peña was a member of the Spain under-17 squad that qualified for the UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship in 2015 (Iceland), being named in the 'Team of the Tournament' as her team won the competition. She also played at the 2016 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship (Slovakia) in which Spain were the runners-up, and was in the squad for the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup (Papua New Guinea), although she did not make an appearance with Mariasun Quiñones chosen as the starting goalkeeper.

She has also been selected for the unofficial Basque Country women's national football team which plays only occasionally, making her first appearance in December 2022 against Chile.[11]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Amaia. BDFutbol. 31 October 2021.
  2. Web site: Profile of Amaia Peña . laliga.com . 9 December 2023 . en.
  3. Web site: Amaia. Txapeldunak. 31 October 2021.
  4. https://www.txapeldunak.com/cas/actualidad/noticia.asp?id=5416 El Athletic confirma el fichaje de Yulema Corres del Aurrera, además de cinco jugadoras para el B
  5. https://pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/amaia-pena/10400 2019 Women's Soccer Roster Pena, Amaia
  6. Web site: Amaia Peña signs with Athletic Club in her native Spain. Pittsburgh Soccer Now . 26 May 2020. 1 November 2021.
  7. https://www.athletic-club.eus/en/news/2020/08/23/amaia-pena-has-come-home Amaia Peña has come home
  8. Web site: Amaia Peña De las Heras llega cedida por el Athletic Club hasta final de temporada. Amaia Peña De las Heras arrives on loan from Athletic Club until the end of the season. . 12 July 2021. 1 November 2021. es.
  9. https://www.athletic-club.eus/en/news/2023/06/29/amaia-pena-renews-contract-until-2025 Amaia Peña renews contract until 2025
  10. https://www.sdeibar.com/en/news/el-eibar-incorpora-a-amaia-pena-y-eider-arana-que-llegan-cedidas-del-athletic-club Eibar bring in Amaia Peña and Eider Arana on loan from Athletic Club
  11. Web site: La Euskal Selekzioa logra una contundente victoria ante Chile (3-0). 21 December 2022. . The Basque Selection achieves a resounding victory against Chile (3-0). es.