| Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta | |
| Full Name: | Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta Etxeberria[1] |
| Birth Date: | 6 August 1993 |
| Birth Place: | Eibar, Spain |
| Height: | 1.75 m |
| Position: | Central midfielder |
| Currentclub: | Athletic Bilbao |
| Clubnumber: | 16 |
| Youthyears1: | 2003–2011 |
| Youthclubs1: | Athletic Bilbao |
| Years1: | 2011 |
| Caps1: | 1 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 2011–2013 |
| Caps2: | 28 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 2011–2016 |
| Caps3: | 3 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 2013–2014 |
| Clubs4: | → Mirandés (loan) |
| Caps4: | 11 |
| Goals4: | 1 |
| Years5: | 2014–2015 |
| Clubs5: | → Zaragoza (loan) |
| Caps5: | 37 |
| Goals5: | 1 |
| Years6: | 2015–2016 |
| Clubs6: | → Leganés (loan) |
| Caps6: | 20 |
| Goals6: | 1 |
| Years7: | 2016–2017 |
| Caps7: | 37 |
| Goals7: | 2 |
| Years8: | 2017–2018 |
| Caps8: | 27 |
| Goals8: | 1 |
| Years9: | 2018–2019 |
| Caps9: | 35 |
| Goals9: | 2 |
| Years10: | 2019–2023 |
| Caps10: | 81 |
| Goals10: | 0 |
| Years11: | 2019–2020 |
| Clubs11: | → Las Palmas (loan) |
| Caps11: | 33 |
| Goals11: | 0 |
| Years12: | 2023– |
| Caps12: | 29 |
| Goals12: | 1 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2009 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2009 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 4 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Nationalyears3: | 2011 |
| Nationalcaps3: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals3: | 0 |
| Nationalyears4: | 2012 |
| Nationalcaps4: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals4: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 4 June 2024 |
Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta Etxeberria (born 6 August 1993) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays mainly as a central midfielder for Athletic Bilbao.
Born in Eibar, Gipuzkoa, Ruiz de Galarreta joined Athletic Bilbao's youth system in 2003, aged 10.[2] On 14 December 2011, while still considered a youth squad player, he made his debut with the first team, coming on as a substitute for Borja Ekiza in the 88th minute of a 4–2 away loss against Paris Saint-Germain F.C. in that season's UEFA Europa League;[3] during his first year, however, he almost exclusively played with the reserves in the Segunda División B.
Ruiz de Galarreta made his second appearance for the main squad on 2 August 2012, again in the Europa League but now against NK Slaven Belupo (27 minutes played, 3–1 home win).[4] He played his first La Liga game 17 days later, replacing Gaizka Toquero at half-time of an eventual 3–5 home defeat to Real Betis.[5]
During a match with the B side against Lleida Esportiu on 21 October 2012, Ruiz de Galarreta ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament on his left knee, being sidelined for the remainder of the campaign.[6] [7] For 2013–14 he was loaned to CD Mirandés of Segunda División,[8] where in a home game against CD Numancia on 27 October he suffered the same injury.[9] Previously, on 8 September, he scored his first goal as a senior, the only in the away victory over Real Madrid Castilla.[10]
The following years, Ruiz de Galarreta played with Real Zaragoza[11] and CD Leganés on loan,[12] helping the latter club to achieve a first-ever promotion to the top flight in 2016.[13] He continued to compete in the second division subsequently, representing Numancia,[14] FC Barcelona Atlètic and UD Las Palmas.[15]
On 2 September 2019, Ruiz de Galarreta signed a four-year contract with RCD Mallorca in the top tier, though it was agreed he would remain on loan at Las Palmas for the upcoming season.[16] He achieved another promotion with the former in 2020–21, contributing 29 appearances to this feat.[17]
Ruiz de Galarreta returned to his first club Athletic on 7 June 2023, on a two-year deal.[18]
Ruiz de Galarreta started representing Spain at under-17 level, appearing in 2010 UEFA European Championship qualifiers against Faroe Islands and Romania[19] [20] and two friendlies with Portugal.[21] He also played for the under-18s and the under-19s.[22]
| Club | Season | League | Copa del Rey | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Bilbao Athletic | 2011–12 | Segunda División B | 25 | 0 | — | — | — | 25 | 0 | ||||
| 2012–13 | Segunda División B | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 | |||
| Athletic Bilbao | 2011–12 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | La Liga | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |||
| 2013–14 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2014–15 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2015–16 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |||
| Mirandés (loan) | 2013–14 | Segunda División | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 1 | |||
| Zaragoza (loan) | 2014–15 | Segunda División | 37 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 41 | 1 | ||
| Leganés (loan) | 2015–16 | Segunda División | 20 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 22 | 2 | |||
| Numancia | 2016–17 | Segunda División | 37 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 38 | 2 | |||
| Barcelona B | 2017–18 | Segunda División | 27 | 1 | — | — | — | 27 | 1 | ||||
| Las Palmas | 2018–19 | Segunda División | 35 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 2 | |||
| Mallorca | 2020–21 | Segunda División | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 0 | |||
| 2021–22 | La Liga | 22 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 0 | ||||
| 2022–23 | La Liga | 30 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 81 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 88 | 0 | |||
| Las Palmas (loan) | 2019–20 | Segunda División | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 0 | |||
| Athletic Bilbao | 2023–24 | La Liga | 29 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 1 | |||
| Career total | 341 | 9 | 17 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 367 | 10 | |||
Athletic Bilbao