Name: Mikel San José Artetxe

Basic Information

• Full name: Mikel San José Artetxe
• Date of birth: September 30, 1989
• Place of birth: Pamplona, Navarre, Spain
• Nationality: Spanish
• Height: approximately 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
• Preferred foot: Right

Playing Position

• Central defender (center-back)
• Defensive midfielder (natural secondary position)

Club Career (summary)

• Youth: Began in CA Osasuna's youth system; later progressed through Osasuna B.
• CA Osasuna – Broke into the Osasuna first team; appearances in La Liga with the Pamplona club.
• Athletic Bilbao – Transferred to Athletic Club (Bilbao) in 2011 and became a regular squad member. Over multiple seasons he featured as both a central defender and a defensive midfielder, contributing with defensive solidity, aerial presence and occasional goals. He made well over 200 appearances for Athletic across La Liga, Copa del Rey and European competitions.
• Later career: After leaving Athletic Bilbao in 2019, he had shorter spells elsewhere including Birmingham City (loan) and involvement with other clubs before retiring from professional play.

International Career

• Spain youth: Represented Spain at various youth levels (U19, U21), part of youth setups during successful cycles.
• Spain senior team: Earned caps for the Spain national team, including participation in friendlies and competitive fixtures circa early 2010s.
• Basque Country: Also featured for the unofficial Basque Country representative team on several occasions.

Style of Play & Strengths

• Tactically versatile — able to play in central defense or shielding midfield role.
• Strong positional sense, good aerial ability and tackling.
• Composed on the ball, capable of starting plays from deep positions.

Notable Achievements

• Long-serving and consistent performer for Athletic Bilbao during the 2010s.
• Domestic cup runs and appearances in UEFA Europa League with Athletic.
• Part of Spain youth squads that enjoyed success in UEFA youth competitions.

Retirement / Current Status

• Mikel San José announced his retirement from professional football in 2021 after a career spanning top-flight Spanish football and international appearances.

Sources & Further Reading

• Official club pages (Athletic Club, CA Osasuna)
• Player profiles on major football databases and federation records