Iñigo Pérez

Iñigo Pérez Soto (born 18 January 1988) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder, currently assistant manager of Rayo Vallecano.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Pérez and the second or maternal family name is Soto.
Iñigo Pérez
Pérez with Osasuna in 2018
Personal information
Full name Iñigo Pérez Soto
Date of birth (1988-01-18) 18 January 1988
Place of birth Pamplona, Spain
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Rayo Vallecano (assistant)
Youth career
2001–2002 Txantrea
2002–2006 Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2007 Basconia 38 (8)
2007–2010 Bilbao Athletic 81 (9)
2009–2014 Athletic Bilbao 33 (1)
2011 → Huesca (loan) 13 (0)
2013–2014 → Mallorca (loan) 13 (0)
2014–2018 Numancia 138 (4)
2018–2022 Osasuna 75 (4)
Total 391 (26)
Managerial career
2022– Rayo Vallecano (assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

A product of Athletic Bilbao's youth ranks at Lezama, Pérez was born in Pamplona, Navarre, and moved to the reserves in early 2007 although he still spent some more time with CD Basconia, the farm team. On 28 October 2009, he made his debut for the main squad, starting in a 2–0 Copa del Rey defeat at Rayo Vallecano (4–2 aggregate loss).[1] He first appeared in La Liga two days later, replacing veteran Pablo Orbaiz in a 1–0 home win against Atlético Madrid.[2]

Definitely promoted to Athletic's first team for the 2010–11 season, Pérez scored in his first official appearance, a 3–0 home victory over RCD Mallorca, playing the last ten minutes in the place of Iker Muniain.[3] On 8 March 2011 he was loaned to SD Huesca of the Segunda División – the winter transfer window had long since closed, but the Royal Spanish Football Federation allowed the move as the Aragonese had just lost David Bauzá to an anterior cruciate ligament injury.[4]

Pérez appeared much more regularly for the Basques in the 2011–12 campaign under new manager Marcelo Bielsa, playing 40 games in all competitions mainly due to the departure of Orbaiz (loaned to Olympiacos FC) and the serious knee injury of Carlos Gurpegui.[5] He spent the first half of 2013–14 on loan at Mallorca, returning on 31 January 2014 due to stress problems.[6]

On 18 July 2014, Pérez joined second division club CD Numancia after terminating his contract with Athletic.[7] On 2 July 2018, he agreed to a four-year deal with CA Osasuna of the same league, for a €750,000 fee.[8]

Pérez retired at the end of 2021–22 at the age of 34, having made 85 official appearances during his spell at the El Sadar Stadium.[9] Subsequently, he joined the coaching staff of his former Athletic temmate Andoni Iraola at Rayo Vallecano.[10]

Career statistics
As of match played 22 May 2021[11]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Bilbao Athletic 2006–07 Segunda División B 20———20
2007–08 Segunda División B 110———110
2008–09 Segunda División B 373———373
2009–10 Segunda División B 316———316
Total 819000000819
Athletic Bilbao 2009–10 La Liga 30101[lower-alpha 1]0—50
2010–11 La Liga 3110——41
2011–12 La Liga 220909[lower-alpha 1]0—400
2012–13 La Liga 50004[lower-alpha 1]1—91
2013–14 La Liga 0000——00
Total 33111014100582
Huesca (loan) 2010–11 Segunda División 13000——130
Mallorca (loan) 2013–14 Segunda División 13000——130
Numancia 2014–15 Segunda División 35020——370
2015–16 Segunda División 26110——271
2016–17 Segunda División 39110——401
2017–18 Segunda División 38230—4[lower-alpha 2]1453
Total 13847000411495
Osasuna 2018–19 Segunda División 21110——221
2019–20 La Liga 22241——263
2020–21 La Liga 22030——250
2021–22 La Liga 0000——00
Total 653810000734
Career total 343172611414138720
  1. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
  2. Appearance(s) in Promotion Playoffs

Honours

Athletic Bilbao

Osasuna

References
  1. El Rayo deja contra las cuerdas al subcampeón (Rayo leave vice-champions against the ropes); Marca, 28 October 2009 (in Spanish)
  2. 1–0. Javi Martínez decide el duelo de deprimidos entre Athletic y Atlético (1–0. Javi Martínez decides duel of the doldrums between Athletic and Atlético); Público, 31 October 2009 (in Spanish)
  3. Lopez luck aids Bilbao Archived 24 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine; ESPN Soccernet, 21 September 2010
  4. Íñigo Pérez llega al Huesca cedido por el Athletic (Íñigo Pérez arrives at Huesca on loan from Athletic); Marca, 8 March 2011 (in Spanish)
  5. Iñigo Pérez tarda siete años en volver a Primera tras una carrera de obstáculos (Iñigo Pérez returns to Primera after seven years following hurdle dash); El País, 28 October 2019 (in Spanish)
  6. Iñigo Pérez regresa al Athletic por un "cuadro de estrés" (Iñigo Pérez returns to Athletic for "stress condition"); Diario AS, 31 January 2014 (in Spanish)
  7. Iñigo Pérez ya es nuevo jugador del Numancia (Iñigo Pérez already is the new player of Numancia); Marca, 18 July 2014 (in Spanish)
  8. El Club Atlético Osasuna ficha a Iñigo Pérez (Club Atlético Osasuna sign Iñigo Pérez) Archived 2 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine; CA Osasuna, 2 July 2018 (in Spanish)
  9. El detalle de Osasuna con los jugadores que no renuevan contrato y se marchan (The Osasuna gesture with the players who will not renew their contracts and leave); El Español, 23 May 2022 (in Spanish)
  10. Iñigo Pérez ya ejerce de segundo en el Rayo (Iñigo Pérez already acting as second-in-command at Rayo); Diario de Navarra, 9 July 2022 (in Spanish)
  11. Iñigo Pérez at Soccerway
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