.jpg) Undabarrena at theLeganés trophy ceremony, 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Iker Undabarrena Martínez | ||
| Date of birth | (1995-05-18)18 May 1995 (age 29) | ||
| Place of birth | Gorliz, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Johor Darul Ta'zim | ||
| Number | 18 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005–2012 | Athletic Bilbao | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2014 | Basconia | 30 | (1) |
| 2012–2018 | Athletic Bilbao | 0 | (0) |
| 2013–2018 | Bilbao Athletic | 105 | (3) |
| 2018–2020 | Tenerife | 46 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | Sabadell | 20 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Tondela | 30 | (2) |
| 2022–2024 | Leganés | 65 | (1) |
| 2024– | Johor Darul Ta'zim | 7 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2011 | Spain U16 | 6 | (0) |
| 2011 | Spain U17 | 2 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 4 February 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 October 2011 | |||
Iker Undabarrena Martínez (born 18 May 1995) is a Spanish professionalfootballer who plays as adefensive midfielder forMalaysia Super League clubJohor Darul Ta'zim. His previous clubs includeBilbao Athletic,Tenerife,Sabadell andLeganés in Spain, andTondela in Portugal.
Born inGorliz,Biscay, Undabarrena joinedAthletic Bilbao's youth system in 2005, aged 10. He made his senior debut with farm teamBasconia of theTercera División, in the2012–13 season. On 28 November 2012, aged 17, Undabarrena made his official debut with the main squad, coming on as asubstitute forIgor Martínez in the 77th minute of a 2–0 away win againstHapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona inthe campaign'sUEFA Europa League.[2]
Having moved up to play forthe reserves in summer 2013, Undabarrena played a prominent role in the team's promotion to the second tier thefollowing season,[3] starting 28 regular league matches and all six of the successfulplay-offs run.[4]
Almost three years after his European bow, Undabarrena made his domestic professional debut on 24 August 2015, starting in a 0–1 home loss againstGirona.[5] He appeared in almost all of thedomestic league matches until 13 February 2016, when he suffered a rupture of theanterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a fixture againstReal Valladolid, requiring a lengthy rehabilitation.[6] Returning to the team eight months later at the end of October, he went on to take part in the majority of the remaining matches during2016–17 before being withdrawn from the final few games as a precaution to complete his recovery.[7]
Undabarrena started the first four fixtures of thenext campaign, but then suffered another ACL tear during training, this time to his right knee.[8] In the same period, similar injuries were endured byAitor Seguín, Undabarrena's long-time teammate (he also joined Athletic's academy as a 10-year-old in 2005) which hampered the development of both players and damaged their hopes of moving up to the senior squad;[9] during Undabarrena's lengthy absences, midfielderMikel Vesga was promoted instead.
Despite making a successful return to the B-team with ten appearances and one goal between March and May (including two in thepromotion play-offs), Undabarrena was released by Athletic Bilbao on the expiry of his contract on 1 July 2018, ending a 13-year association with the club.[10]
On 3 July 2018, free agent Undaberrena agreed a deal to join second-tierTenerife (at the time coached by former Athletic Bilbao playerJoseba Etxeberria) on a three-year contract.[11]
On 31 August 2020, Undaberrena moved to fellow league teamSabadell.[12]
Undabarrena moved abroad for the first time on 6 August 2021, signing a two-year deal at Portuguese clubTondela under fellow BasquePako Ayestarán.[13] He made hisPrimeira Liga debut two days later in a 3–0 opening day win overC.D. Santa Clara, as a late substitute.[14] On 23 October, he was sent off within half an hour of a 3–1 lost to visitorsPorto, for a foul onMehdi Taremi.[15]
On 26 August 2022, aftersuffering relegation, Undabarrena returned to Spain after signing a one-year deal withLeganés in division two.[16] Having played regularly, he signed another contract for the2023–24 Segunda División campaign which ended with the club being promoted toLaLiga as champions,[17] but he was one of several squad members whose deals were not renewed.[18][19]
On 11 August 2024, Undabarrena moved to Southeast Asia to joined Malaysian Super League giantsJohor Darul Ta'zim.[20]
Undabarrena started representingSpain atunder-17 level, appearing infriendlies againstBelgium andMontenegro.
He is not related toEneko Undabarrena, also a midfielder who played for several clubs in the region during the same period.[21]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Athletic Bilbao | 2012–13 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1[a] | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | ||
| Basconia | 2012–13 | Tercera División | 27 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 27 | 1 | ||||
| 2013–14 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 | ||
| Bilbao Athletic | 2013–14 | Segunda División B | 21 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 21 | 0 | ||||
| 2014–15 | 28 | 0 | – | – | – | 6[b] | 0 | 34 | 0 | |||||
| 2015–16 | Segunda División | 23 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 23 | 0 | |||||
| 2016–17 | Segunda División B | 21 | 2 | – | – | – | – | 21 | 2 | |||||
| 2017–18 | 12 | 1 | – | – | – | 2[c] | 0 | 14 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 105 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 113 | 3 | ||
| Tenerife | 2018–19 | Segunda División | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 28 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | – | – | 22 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 46 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 0 | ||
| Sabadell | 2020–21 | Segunda División | 36 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | – | 38 | 2 | |||
| Tondela | 2021–22 | Primeira Liga | 28 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 32 | 2 | ||
| 2022–23 | Liga Portugal 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1[d] | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 30 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 2 | ||
| Leganés | 2022–23 | Segunda División | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 34 | 0 | |||
| 2023–24 | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | 33 | 1 | |||||
| Total | 65 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67 | 1 | ||
| Johor Darul Ta'zim | 2024–25 | Malaysia Super League | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6[e] | 0 | – | 13 | 0 | |
| Career total | 317 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 345 | 7 | ||
Tondela
Leganés