Athletic Club Women striker Nekane Diez will retire from football at the end of the current campaign. The Lioness has spent 16 seasons with Athletic and bows out as the Club's fourth-highest all-time appearances maker, with 379 matches, while with 162 strikes she is second only to Erika Vázquez in the goalscoring charts. This Saturday, the forward will make her final appearance at Lezama when the Lionesses take on Villarreal CF (12:00 CEST).
The Club urges fans to attend the match against Villarreal CF at Lezama and give Nekane the final ovation and tribute that she deserves. Diez is a club legend and has served as the inspiration for many girls who once dreamed of wearing the red and white jersey and have gone on to so.
Nekane, corazón rojiblanco
Since her arrival from CD Mariño de Irun in 2007, Nekane has shown utmost commitment to the Club along with her incredible talent. A league champion with Athletic in 2016, she made 346 appearances in the league, 28 in the Copa de la Reina and five in European competitions. She also regularly turned out for The Basque national team.
The 31-year-old retains the record of being the side's youngest debutee, her first match a UEFA Champions League tie in Ljubljana on 9 August 2007 just a few days shy of her 16th birthday. It was a historic debut, as Nekane managed to score her first official goal as soon as she came on.
Before saying goodbye to football, the striker will look to add the finishing touch to her impeccable career in next Wednesday's Copa semi-final in at Butarque (21:00 CEST). Nekane and her team-mates will face Real Madrid as she attempts to reach a third Copa de la Reina final with Athletic.
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The coach singled out the incredible "potential" and talent at Athletic Club Women