_Perez_(cropped).jpg) Pérez withOsasuna in 2018 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Iñigo Pérez Soto | ||
| Date of birth | (1988-01-18)18 January 1988 (age 37) | ||
| Place of birth | Pamplona, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Rayo Vallecano (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2001–2002 | Txantrea | ||
| 2002–2006 | Athletic Bilbao | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2007 | Basconia | 38 | (8) |
| 2007–2010 | Bilbao Athletic | 81 | (9) |
| 2009–2014 | Athletic Bilbao | 33 | (1) |
| 2011 | →Huesca (loan) | 13 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | →Mallorca (loan) | 13 | (0) |
| 2014–2018 | Numancia | 138 | (4) |
| 2018–2022 | Osasuna | 75 | (4) |
| Total | 391 | (26) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2022–2023 | Rayo Vallecano (assistant) | ||
| 2024– | Rayo Vallecano | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Iñigo Pérez Soto (born 18 January 1988) is a Spanish former professionalfootballer who played as acentral midfielder, currentlymanager ofLa Liga clubRayo Vallecano.
A product ofAthletic Bilbao's youth ranks atLezama, Pérez was born inPamplona,Navarre, and moved tothe reserves in early 2007 although he still spent some more time withBasconia, thefarm team. On 28 October 2009, he made his debut for the main squad, starting in a 2–0Copa del Rey defeat atRayo Vallecano (4–2 aggregate loss).[1] He first appeared inLa Liga two days later,replacing veteranPablo Orbaiz in a 1–0 home win againstAtlético Madrid.[2]
Definitely promoted to Athletic's first team for the2010–11 season, Pérez scored in his first official appearance, a 3–0 home victory overMallorca, playing the last ten minutes in the place ofIker Muniain.[3] On 8 March 2011, he was loaned toHuesca of theSegunda División; the wintertransfer window had long since closed, but theRoyal Spanish Football Federation allowed the move as theAragonese had just lostDavid Bauzá to ananterior cruciate ligament injury.[4]
Pérez appeared much more regularly for theBasques in the2011–12 campaign under new managerMarcelo Bielsa, playing 40 games in all competitions mainly due to the departure of Orbaiz (loaned toOlympiacos) and the seriousknee injury ofCarlos Gurpegui.[5] He spent the first half of2013–14 on loan at Mallorca, returning on 31 January 2014 due tostress problems.[6]
On 18 July 2014, Pérez joined second division clubNumancia after terminating his contract with Athletic.[7] On 2 July 2018, he agreed to a four-year deal withOsasuna of the same league, for a€750,000 fee.[8]
Pérez retired at the end of2021–22 at the age of 34, having made 85 official appearances during his spell at theEl Sadar Stadium.[9] Subsequently, he joined the coaching staff of his former Athletic teammateAndoni Iraola at Rayo Vallecano.[10]
Pérez was supposed to move alongside Iraola toBournemouth in thePremier League in summer 2023; however, this did not happen due to work permit issues.[11] He returned to theCampo de Fútbol de Vallecas – now as a manager in his own right – on 14 February 2024, followingFrancisco's dismissal.[12] In his first match four days later, his side drew 1–1 at home toReal Madrid.[13]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Bilbao Athletic | 2006–07 | Segunda División B | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2007–08 | Segunda División B | 11 | 0 | — | — | — | 11 | 0 | ||||
| 2008–09 | Segunda División B | 37 | 3 | — | — | — | 37 | 3 | ||||
| 2009–10 | Segunda División B | 31 | 6 | — | — | — | 31 | 6 | ||||
| Total | 81 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 81 | 9 | ||
| Athletic Bilbao | 2009–10 | La Liga | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 | La Liga | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 1 | |||
| 2011–12 | La Liga | 22 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9[a] | 0 | — | 40 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13 | La Liga | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[a] | 1 | — | 9 | 1 | ||
| 2013–14 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 33 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 58 | 2 | ||
| Huesca (loan) | 2010–11 | Segunda División | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 0 | ||
| Mallorca (loan) | 2013–14 | Segunda División | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 0 | ||
| Numancia | 2014–15 | Segunda División | 35 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 37 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | Segunda División | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 27 | 1 | |||
| 2016–17 | Segunda División | 39 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 40 | 1 | |||
| 2017–18 | Segunda División | 38 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | 4[b] | 1 | 45 | 3 | ||
| Total | 138 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 149 | 5 | ||
| Osasuna | 2018–19 | Segunda División | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 22 | 1 | ||
| 2019–20 | La Liga | 22 | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 26 | 3 | |||
| 2020–21 | La Liga | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 0 | |||
| 2021–22 | La Liga | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 1 | |||
| Total | 75 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 85 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 353 | 18 | 28 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 399 | 21 | ||
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | Ref | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| Rayo Vallecano |  | 14 February 2024 | Present | 75 | 28 | 23 | 24 | 91 | 86 | +5 | 037.33 | [16] |
| Total | 75 | 28 | 23 | 24 | 91 | 86 | +5 | 037.33 | — | |||
Athletic Bilbao
Osasuna