Zarraga: "Valverde wants us to be brave"

Athletic Club midfielder Oier Zarraga says he working hard to force his way into Ernesto Valverde's plans for the LaLiga 2022/23 season. The 23-year-old also said that the team is adapting well to the new head coach's tactics.

The Lezama graduate made a total of 37 appearances across all competition last year and is hoping to improve upon those figures in the forthcoming campaign.

"We're picking up the coaching staff's ideas. We're going little by little, but we're seeing positive things," Zarraga told press on Thursday afternoon.

"Valverde is asking us to be brave and to have no fear. The way we play and press will be similar to before, but it will be more attacking. We're trying to get into the box more often, keep the opposition pinned down and create more chances."

Zarraga admitted the systems Athletic have used in pre-season so far, such as a three-man midfield, is better suited to his style of play.

He said: "Throughout most of my youth career I played through the middle and my strengths are linked to that, but I can also do a job on the wing. Wherever I'm asked to play, I'll do the best I can."

With less than three weeks to go before Los Leones kick off LaLiga 2022/23, the young midfielder reiterated the importance of getting off to a good start.

"Europe must be our main ambition, but thinking about the end is not going to help us," He added.

"We're starting with two consecutive home games. We need to get as many points as possible from those fixtures to establish ourselves as high up the table as we can."