Place of birth Mondragón, Spain Number 3 Height 1.9 m Career start 2004 | Playing position Years Team Weight 79 kg | |
Full name Mikel González de Martín Martínez Date of birth (1985-09-24) 24 September 1985 (age 31) Current team Real Sociedad (#3 / Defender) Similar Xabi Prieto, David Zurutuza, Joseba Zaldúa, Carlos Martínez, Markel Bergara | ||
Mikel González de Martín Martínez (born 24 September 1985) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Real Sociedad as a central defender.
Football career
A product of Real Sociedad's youth ranks, González was born in Arrasate-Mondragón, Gipuzkoa, and he made his first-team debut on 17 September 2005 in a 2–5 away loss against RCD Mallorca. He went on to collect only two more La Liga appearances during that season.
With the Basque team in Segunda División, González became an undisputed starter, appearing in 35 games in the 2009–10 campaign as Real returned to the top level after a three-year absence and contributing with one goal, in a 3–1 home win against Villarreal CF B. He added 32 matches – 30 starts – in the following year as the club retained its league status, but somewhat lost his importance in the squad following the January 2011 signing of Norwegian Vadim Demidov and the emergence of youth product Iñigo Martínez.
González returned to starting duties in the following seasons, alongside Martínez: he started in all his 34 league appearances in 2012–13 in more than 3.000 minutes of action, scoring against Rayo Vallecano (4–0, at home) and Valencia CF (5–2 away win) as the Txuriurdin finished fourth and returned to the UEFA Champions League after one full decade.
