Hard-working central midfielder Mikel Vesga adds a dynamic, physical presence to Athletic Club’s midfield. Over recent years, he has matured as a player, becoming a far more consistent performer. 

The box-to-box midfielder from Vitoria first came to Lezama back in 2014-15, heading straight into Bilbao Athletic and becoming a vital cog in Kuko Ziganda’s side that won promotion to the Segunda División. 

He made his first-team debut in 2016-17, but after being unable to break into the team, he spent the rest of that season on loan at Sporting Gijón. He returned to San Mamés in 17-18, but again struggled to make an impact, so in 2018-19 he was sent to CD Leganés.

A solid run of starts in Madrid allowed Mikel to get to grips with life in the Primera and in 2019-20 he came back to Athletic a much better player.

Vesga has since added to his physical qualities. He is now more assured in possession and offers more going forward. He’s proven himself to be an extremely useful player, especially as his natural left foot gives the midfield a lot of balance. 

Mikel made a total of 39 appearances in 2021-22, his most in any campaign for Athletic so far, showing that he has become a key member of the squad.