Last Monday in Montilivi, De Marcos surpassed Iraola in the historical ranking of Athletic players who have defended the red and white shirt the most times in official matches. The now right-back of the Bilbao team is in fifth position in the table with 551 games as a lion, one more than the current Bournemouth coach. The Laguardia footballer can finish this year in fourth position in this emblematic classification, because Joseba Etxeberria is ahead of him with 514 matches, only three.
Neither De Marcos nor Iraola are set to play for Athletic as right-backs, a position in which both have performed more than ever. The Alava footballer arrived in Lezama in the 2009-2010 season as a forward. In fact, Caparrós tried him on said demarcation. Bielsa, however, ended up placing him as a midfielder and it was Valverde, with Iraola about to end his journey in Bilbao, who gave him continuity at right back.
De Marcos, in any case, has been a true wild card in his five seasons as a lion. As he often says on several occasions, “I just have to play as a goalkeeper.” In the absence of seeing what will happen in his future, Valverde remains determined to make him play as a right-back and to do so he will not hesitate to move Lekue; another one of the alternatives that existed for almost a decade in Bilbao, to act as 2; on the left wing, a position in which the aforementioned Bielsa also used the Alava footballer at certain times.
We will have to wait a year to find out if this will be De Marcos’ last season as an Athletic player. He, as was the case a few months ago, will have the floor. It all depends on your feelings and how you feel physically and even mentally.
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.
