Mikel Jaureguizar believes Athletic Bilbao has a squad of world-class players ready for an exciting and challenging season. Young midfielder Mikel Jaureguizar expressed his excitement about the club's future, noting the new crop of talented players who are turning dreams into reality when they don the red and white stripes.  

The 21-year-old established himself in the first team last season and, after signing a long-term contract, took over the No. 18 jersey from former captain Oscar de Marcos, eager to continue to improve his performance in the future.  

Mikel Jaureguizar said: "This contract symbolises our pride in being part of Athletic Bilbao, reflects our convictions and conveys our unwavering belief in this project. I am sure no one will want to leave this club because we have an exceptional team and top players."  

"Personally, I couldn't ask for more. I have renewed my contract with my boyhood club until 2031 and received the number 18 jersey from Oscar de Marcos. This means a lot to me because Oscar de Marcos has always been a role model for me, as was Carlos Gurpage before him."  

"From the moment I saw him in the stands and on TV, he was already a role model for me. "And when I had the opportunity to be in the dressing room with him, that admiration was even deeper. I told him how much that jersey meant to me and I was afraid to even put it on, but he insisted, so I did."  

"I will continue to train hard and give my all on the field. I am extremely excited to be able to wear this badge and this jersey and realize the dreams of all young people in the Basque Country. We are looking forward to the new season, which will be an exciting and challenging season."  

The new number 18 was delighted with Athletic Bilbao's strong start to the 2025-26 season and said a tough pre-season training session had left the team well prepared for the match against Sevilla.  

Mikel Jaureguizar said: "Although our pre-season performance was not ideal, those games helped us complete our preparations. Now we have made a good start and the whole team is very happy. This victory is of great significance. It has injected us with confidence, strength and energy, allowing us to go all out against Rayo Vallecano. We will fight for three points again."  

"Valecano is a very tough team that plays well. It's no accident that they're in the European competition. We have to be ready for the challenge because they'll cause us a lot of trouble, just like they did last season."  

Despite having played 59 senior matches, the midfielder admitted that he is still young and has huge room for improvement.  

He added: "Now that I have more experience, I got a lot of playing time last season. Whether I can continue that this season or even go one step further remains to be seen. The coach wants me to play a role on the court, move the ball from one side to the other, play to my strengths, make tackles and help the team run."