David Zurutuza Veillet (born 19 July 1986) is a Spanish former footballer who played as a central midfielder.
![]() Zurutuza with Real Sociedad in 2018 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | David Zurutuza Veillet | ||
Date of birth | (1986-07-19) 19 July 1986 (age 35) | ||
Place of birth | Rochefort, France | ||
Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
Position(s) | Central midfielder | ||
Youth career | |||
Lengokoak | |||
Decathlon Ondarroa | |||
Real Sociedad | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2005–2009 | Real Sociedad B | 83 | (5) |
2007–2008 | → Eibar (loan) | 24 | (2) |
2008–2020 | Real Sociedad | 267 | (20) |
Total | 374 | (27) | |
National team | |||
2010–2018 | Basque Country | 5 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
He spent his entire professional career contracted to Real Sociedad, with whom he made 303 competitive appearances across over a decade, and was also loaned to Eibar in Segunda División.
Zurutuza was born in Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, France, to a French mother and a Spanish father; the family returned to the latter's native Basque Country shortly after.[1] He also held French citizenship.[2]
Zurutuza joined Real Sociedad's youth system after starting his football career in Deba, Gipuzkoa. In the 2007–08 season, he was loaned to neighbours SD Eibar of the second division.[3][4]
Zurutuza spent the following campaign with Real's B team in the third level, suffering relegation. On 23 November 2008 he made his debut for the main squad, playing ten minutes as a substitute for Necati Ateş in a 1–0 home win against SD Huesca.[5]
In 2009–10, Zurutuza contributed with four goals in 28 games as Real Sociedad returned to La Liga after a three-year absence. He continued to be first choice the next season, making his debut in the competition on 29 August 2010 in a 1–0 home victory over Villarreal CF[6] and scoring his first goal on 28 November in a 3–1 away defeat of Sporting de Gijón;[7][8] he only missed two league matches as the club managed to retain its division status.
On 31 August 2014, in the second matchday of the new season, Zurutuza put on a Player of the match performance at home against Real Madrid, his brace helping Real Sociedad come from 0–2 behind to win the game 4–2.[9] Five years later, on 14 September, he made his 300th appearance against Atlético Madrid.[10]
Zurutuza retired from football in July 2020, at the age of 34.[11]
Club | Season | Division | League | Cup | Europe / Other | Total | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
Real Sociedad B | 2005–06 | Segunda División B | 29 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 31 | 0 | |
2006–07 | Segunda División B | 30 | 5 | — | — | 30 | 5 | |||
2008–09 | Segunda División B | 22 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 0 | |||
Total | 81 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 83 | 5 | ||
Eibar (loan) | 2007–08 | Segunda División | 24 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 25 | 2 | |
Real Sociedad | 2008–09 | Segunda División | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
2009–10 | Segunda División | 28 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 28 | 4 | ||
2010–11 | La Liga | 36 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 36 | 2 | ||
2011–12 | La Liga | 33 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 33 | 3 | ||
2012–13 | La Liga | 21 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | 25 | 2 | ||
2013–14 | La Liga | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 34 | 1 | |
2014–15 | La Liga | 16 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 25 | 3 | |
2015–16 | La Liga | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 18 | 1 | ||
2016–17 | La Liga | 31 | 3 | 6 | 0 | — | 37 | 3 | ||
2017–18 | La Liga | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 37 | 1 | |
2018–19 | La Liga | 21 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 24 | 2 | ||
2019–20 | La Liga | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | ||
Total | 267 | 20 | 22 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 303 | 22 | ||
Career Total | 372 | 23 | 23 | 0 | 16 | 2 | 411 | 29 |