Gari Uranga | |
Fullname: | Garikoitz Uranga Luluaga[1] |
Birth Date: | 21 June 1980 |
Birth Place: | Tolosa, Spain |
Position: | Winger |
Youthclubs2: | Real Sociedad |
Years1: | 2000–2002 |
Years2: | 2002–2008 |
Years3: | 2003 |
Years4: | 2003–2004 |
Years5: | 2008–2010 |
Clubs3: | → Eibar (loan) |
Clubs4: | → Getafe (loan) |
Clubs5: | Castellón |
Caps1: | 67 |
Caps2: | 116 |
Caps3: | 19 |
Caps4: | 38 |
Caps5: | 52 |
Totalcaps: | 292 |
Goals1: | 8 |
Goals2: | 9 |
Goals3: | 2 |
Goals4: | 5 |
Goals5: | 6 |
Totalgoals: | 30 |
Nationalyears1: | 2005–2006 |
Nationalcaps1: | 3 |
Nationalgoals1: | 1 |
Garikoitz 'Gari' Uranga Luluaga (born 21 June 1980) is a Spanish former footballer. Usually a left winger, he could also operate as a forward.
Uranga was born in Tolosa, Gipuzkoa. A product of Basque Country giants Real Sociedad's youth system, he played one game for its first team in 2001–02's La Liga[2] then spent two seasons on loan in the second division, being instrumental to Getafe CF's first ever top-flight promotion.[3]
Over the next four seasons after his return, Uranga would be regularly used by Real Sociedad, for instance going through 33 scoreless matches in 2005–06 and missing several months the following campaign, which ended in relegation after 40 years, due to a knee injury.[4] His father Luis was also club president during that period.[5]
After his contract expired, Uranga signed a two-year deal with CD Castellón also in the second tier.[6] [7] He retired in June 2010 at only 30 after the Valencian Community side suffered relegation, having made 225 appearances at the professional level in an eight-year career (22 goals).[8]