Mikel Alonso facts for kids
_(cropped).jpg)
Alonso in 2020
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 17 May 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Tolosa, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1990–1997 | Antiguoko | ||
| 1997–1998 | Athletic Bilbao | ||
| 1998–1999 | Antiguoko | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1999–2002 | Real Sociedad B | 103 | (8) |
| 2001–2008 | Real Sociedad | 104 | (2) |
| 2003–2004 | → Numancia (loan) | 10 | (1) |
| 2007–2008 | → Bolton Wanderers (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2009–2011 | Tenerife | 66 | (4) |
| 2011–2012 | Charlton Athletic | 0 | (0) |
| 2014–2018 | Real Unión | 117 | (7) |
| Total | 407 | (22) | |
| National team | |||
| 2004–2007 | Basque Country | 5 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2018–2020 | Antiguoko (youth) | ||
| 2021–2022 | Real Sociedad B (assistant) | ||
|
|||
Mikel Alonso Olano (born 17 May 1980) is a Spanish former footballer. He played as a midfielder.
Mikel spent most of his career at Real Sociedad. He played 110 games for them over seven seasons. He also played 132 games in La Liga for Real Sociedad and Tenerife. He played 48 games in the Segunda División for Tenerife and Numancia.
Alonso also had two short times playing in England. He finished his football career at Real Unión.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting at Real Sociedad
Mikel Alonso grew up playing in the youth teams of Real Sociedad. His younger brother, Xabi Alonso, also came from this club. Mikel was born in Tolosa, Gipuzkoa.
He first played in La Liga on 22 April 2001. This was against Real Valladolid, and his team won 3–1. However, his brother Xabi and another player, Mikel Aranburu, often played in central midfield. This meant Mikel had a smaller role.
Loan to Numancia
In the 2003–04 season, Mikel was loaned to Segunda División team Numancia. He helped the team try to get promoted. Even though he was playing for Numancia, he still wanted to play for Real Sociedad. He returned to Real Sociedad after the season.
Back at Real Sociedad
Under coach José Mari Bakero, Mikel became a very important player. In the 2005–06 season, he played in 37 games. This showed how much the team relied on him.
Time in England with Bolton
In 2004, Mikel's brother Xabi moved to England to play for Liverpool. Mikel also decided to play in the Premier League. On 10 July 2007, he joined Bolton Wanderers on a loan deal. Bolton is another team in north-west England.
However, after the coach Sammy Lee left, Mikel did not play as much. Under the new coach, Gary Megson, he only played in two games. Bolton decided not to keep him after his loan ended.
Return to Spain
Mikel went back to Spain for the 2008–09 season. But his coach at Real Sociedad, Juan Manuel Lillo, did not plan to use him. Mikel tried out for Olympiacos but it did not work out. Real Sociedad then let him leave the club for free.
Playing for Tenerife
After leaving Real Sociedad, Swansea City coach Roberto Martínez offered Mikel a chance to train with his team. Mikel's brother Xabi highly recommended the coach. So, Mikel accepted the offer and trained with Swansea.
However, Mikel did not stay in Wales. In January 2009, he moved to Tenerife. He joined them for the rest of the season. He said he had "heard good things" about his new team. Mikel still supported Real Sociedad. He hoped both teams would get promoted to the top league. He played 11 games and helped Tenerife return to La Liga after seven years.
In the 2009–10 season, Mikel started as a regular player. He scored a goal with his head in the second game. This was a 1–0 home win against Athletic Bilbao. But he played less often towards the end of the season. Tenerife was then relegated back to the second division.
Short Spell at Charlton Athletic
In June 2011, after Tenerife was relegated again, Mikel returned to England. He was 31 years old. He joined Football League One club Charlton Athletic.
He played his first official game on 5 October. This was in a cup game against Brentford. Charlton lost 3–0. Mikel was released by Charlton at the end of the season. He did not play in any of the main league games.
Final Club: Real Unión
On 14 July 2014, Mikel signed with Real Unión. He had not played for nearly two years. Real Unión played in Segunda División B. Four years later, when he was 38, Mikel announced he was retiring from playing football.
After retiring, Mikel worked as a manager. He managed youth teams at Antiguoko. He also worked as an assistant coach for his brother at Real Sociedad B.
International Play
Mikel Alonso played five games for the Basque Country regional team. This team represents the Basque region of Spain.
Family and Football
Mikel Alonso grew up in a football family. His father, Periko Alonso, was also a professional footballer. Periko played for Real Sociedad and Barcelona.
Mikel and his younger brother, Xabi Alonso, often went to training with their father. Xabi also became a famous footballer. He played for Real Sociedad, Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich. All three, Mikel, Xabi, and their father, played as midfielders.
Mikel followed his father's example. He became a professional footballer at the San Sebastián club, Real Sociedad.
See also
In Spanish: Mikel Alonso para niños
