Eñaut Zubikarai

Eñaut Zubikarai

200px Zubikarai with Real Sociedad in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Eñaut Zubikarai Goñi
Date of birth	(1984-02-26) 26 February 1984
Place of birth	Ondarroa, Spain
Height
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Free agent
Youth career
	Aurrerá Ondarroa
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2008	Real Sociedad B	71	(0)
2005–2006	→ Eibar (loan)	1	(0)
2008–2015	Real Sociedad	46	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 May 2015

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Zubikarai and the second or maternal family name is Goñi.

Eñaut Zubikarai Goñi (born 26 February 1984) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper.

Football career

Born in Ondarroa, Biscay, Zubikarai joined Real Sociedad in 2003 at age 19, being assigned to the B-team in Segunda División B. For the 2005–06 season he was loaned to Basque neighbours SD Eibar, but appeared in only one game after suffering a shoulder injury (he suffered another after having returned to his parent club) and also suffered relegation from Segunda División, which triggered thoughts of an early retirement.

After Asier Riesgo moved to Recreativo de Huelva, Zubikarai was definitely promoted to the main squad but, after the former returned from his loan, both battled for second-choice status during the 2009–10 campaign. The latter contributed with 12 games as the Txuriurdin returned to La Liga, after a three-year absence.

Zubikarai made his debut in the top flight on 10 April 2012 at the age of 28, in a 1–1 home draw against Real Betis. He continued to act as understudy to Claudio Bravo for the duration of his spell, but was Real Sociedad's goalkeeper in the Copa del Rey, notably helping to a semifinal run in 2013–14.

Personal life

In the summer of 2011, Hércules CF was on the verge of signing Zubikarai on loan, but pulled out officially on financial grounds, even though it reportedly feared public reaction to its signing of a player whose father, Cándido, was affiliated with terrorist organization ETA, being sentenced to thirty years in 1989 for the murder of two civil guards.

External links

• Eñaut Zubikarai profile at BDFutbol
• Futbolme profile (Spanish)
• Eñaut Zubikarai at Soccerway