Player of the Weekend: Aritz Aduriz

Who else but Aritz Aduriz?

The veteran striker has just begun his final season as a football player, announcing over the summer that he is to retire at the end of Atletic Bilbao’s season. Born in San Sebastian, Aduriz has played for the Basque club for the majority of his career and gained international recognition a couple of seasons ago when we netted 36 times in that campaign aged 36.

He is a true icon of Bilbao, having scored some famous goals in his illustrious career. However, this weekend that icon status was solidified a little more thanks to what might be his most famous goal yet.

La Liga kicked-off with the defending champions looking to start in the only way they know how to, but they had to get passed a reluctant and talented Atletic club first. Luis Suarez had hit the post but for the most part, it was anyone’s game to win as the score remained goalless throughout.

That was at least, until the introduction of Aduriz, our Player of the Weekend. With the news of his final season being known the whole of San Mames, his reception was as big as ever as he entered the field. Such noise what doubled, tripled even, when scored a bicycle kick in the 89th minute to win the game.

@LaLigaEN #Aduriz #best pic.twitter.com/GQ1gvKBqkJ

— Endri Arizi (@endriarizi) August 18, 2019

As you would expect, his teammates also had a lot of love for him after the game, too. An incredible story.

Aritz Aduriz walking into the Athletic Club dressing room last night after scoring an 89th minute overhead kick winner against Barça in his last season as a player. Hero.pic.twitter.com/D0bRaISgca

— The Spanish Football Podcast (@tsf_podcast) August 17, 2019