Gari Uranga
Garikoitz 'Gari' Uranga Luluaga (born 21 June 1980) is a Spanish retired footballer. Usually a left winger, he could also operate as a forward.
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Garikoitz Uranga Luluaga | ||
Date of birth | 21 June 1980 | ||
Place of birth | Tolosa, Spain | ||
Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in) | ||
Playing position(s) | Winger | ||
Youth career | |||
Tolosa | |||
Real Sociedad | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2000–2002 | Real Sociedad B | 67 | (8) |
2002–2008 | Real Sociedad | 116 | (9) |
2003 | → Eibar (loan) | 19 | (2) |
2003–2004 | → Getafe (loan) | 38 | (5) |
2008–2010 | Castellón | 52 | (6) |
Total | 292 | (30) | |
National team | |||
2005–2006 | Basque Country | 3 | (1) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only |
Football career
Uranga was born in Tolosa. 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 then spent two seasons on loan in the second division, being instrumental to Getafe CF's first ever top flight promotion.[1]
During the next four seasons after his return, Uranga would be regularly used by Real Sociedad, for instance going through 33 scoreless matches during 2005–06 and missing several months in the following campaign, which ended in relegation after 40 years, due to a knee injury.[2] His father Luis was also club president during that period.[3]
After his contract expired, Uranga signed a two-year deal with CD Castellón also in the second level.[4][5] He retired in June 2010 at only 30 after the Valencian Community side suffered relegation, having appeared in 225 games both major levels of Spanish football combined during his eight-year professional career (22 goals).
References
- Jornada especial y de olvidar para Gari (Special and forgetful day for Gari); Mundo Deportivo, 9 May 2005 (in Spanish)
- Gari Uranga, operado con éxito de su rotura de ligamento (Gari Uranga, successful ligament tear surgery); El País, 6 February 2007 (in Spanish)
- Turkey star makes Spanish switch; BBC Sport, 22 May 2000
- Gari Uranga ya es del Castellón (Gari Uranga is already from Castellón); Mundo Deportivo, 19 July 2008 (in Spanish)
- Gari Uranga da la cara y explica las causas de su ausencia en los partidos (Gari Uranga steps up and explains absence from games); Las Provincias, 12 May 2010 (in Spanish)
External links
- Gari Uranga at BDFutbol
- Gari Uranga at Soccerway