Were you surprised to be substituted against Real Madrid?
I had a few training sessions and I still have a bit to get back into shape. Surprise, no. The coach’s decision is always good and then I will give the team what I can.
Fifth season in Athletic’s first team. Are you satisfied with your numbers?
You don’t have to be completely satisfied, you can always improve. The goal is to try to do better and better and be able to surpass those numbers every season.
A few days ago it was four years since he became a lion. What do you remember about that day?
Debut against Barça, with success and the great goal from Aduriz’s Chilean kick near the end. I will never forget it.
Do you know who he replaced that day?
To De Marcos.
The season before his debut as a lion he had already done the preseason under the orders of Berizzo, but he suffered a serious knee injury when he went down to play for Bilbao Athletic at the start of the competition.
I went up at the age of 18 to do the preseason with Berizzo and when I finished I went down to the subsidiary and broke my crossbones, which is the ugliest and hardest part of football. I spent seven months off the field and it’s true that eventually it took me a while to get back in shape and feel good again.
He finished late with the youth Athletic, he had the Mediterranean Games, preseason with the first team. Isn’t this too much for a young person?
I barely had nine days off from when I finished with the national team in the last game until I started the preseason with Athletic. You don’t know the cause of the injury, but the fact of not having rest can have an influence.
Unai Simón said last Wednesday in Lezama, adding to some of Guardiola’s statements, that elite football players are not robots.
That is. This summer you will start playing with the team under 21, in my case and Paredes and Agirrezabala, a month since the end of the League and in the end it is true that it is long. They have been competing for almost twelve months. Rest is also important.
Afraid of a repeat of what happened in the first season?
I don’t think it’s going to hurt me or maybe hurt me, but I’m trying to do compensatory work to not hurt myself and that’s it.
Do you do specific work outside of Lezama?
Besides field training, we do other things in the gym to get stronger and avoid injuries.
Was last season your best season at Athletic?
Definitely. Apart from the season being the longest I played, I also got my best numbers in the First Division. Yes it is the best, but why not improve it this year.
Why did you renew until 2032?
The club offered me a very long contract, the sports project it offered me convinced me and I decided to renew and spend the next years here.
You yourself gave the news at the foot of the farm in San Mamés. Would you change the way you work if you could?
The truth is that I was a little surprised. The club suggested that I report this, that the fans would be the first to know, and why not. I thought it was a good idea and we did it.
Did your teammates know about your renewal or did they find out there?
We kept it a secret to make it a surprise, so many people don’t know.
Why don’t they say, then or now, what their termination clause is?
I honestly don’t know either. This is something that I do not attach importance to. My agent and the club have discussed that.
His agent, Felix Tainta, is the same as Williams. Will Nico renew?
Everyone has to decide what to do. I want him to stay here, with us because he is a very important player for Athletic and, as I always say, I want to play with the best by my side. I hope it stays.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
