Exclusive Interview: Spain star Oyarzabal epitomising driven, young Real Sociedad side

Sitting fifth in the league and within touching distance of the Champions League places, Real Sociedad have won plenty of admirers in LaLiga this season.

Theirs is the youngest squad in Spain’s top-flight, and the freedom with which Imanol Alguacil’s side is playing this season has been a joy to watch.

One player in particular who is enjoying their fearless approach is academy graduate Mikel Oyarzabal, who spoke with Emanuele Giulianelli on behalf of WhoScored.com to discuss the season so far and aspirations for the future.

One thing that remained constant throughout the 22-year-old’s answers was the focus and modesty that saw him return to the senior Spain set up last year and has been a driving force behind la Real’s European bid.

Oyarzabal is enjoying his best season to date according to his WhoScored.com rating, with a score of 7.27 even enough to earn a place in our team of the season so far in LaLiga.

“I feel comfortable this season with our playing style and that could be the reason behind those ratings”, the youngster suggested. “I have been lucky in front of goal and also scored several penalties to help the team earn points. That’s what really matters.”

The team ethic is key, that much is clear, and they have seen a marked increase in attacking output this season, averaging 1.7 goals per game up from 1.2 last season. “Our team wants to be the main protagonist in each game, we don’t care who the rival is”, Oyarzabal explained.

Winning is not all-important for this young side, but the manner in which they play, sticking to their principles. “We try to play from the back to the front, moving the ball to create spaces and to take advantage of them. We always want to score, we don’t look at the result. Our idea is to attack throughout the 90 minutes.”

The likes of Portu, Alexander Isak and Martin Odegaard’s summer arrivals have helped to stick to that ethos, with the latter stealing the headlines, as Oyarzabal attests. “Martin has been a great signing so far, but he couldn’t be so important without the work of many other teammates. We have the youngest age average of LaLiga and that’s a great sign for the present but mainly for the future of the club. We have lots we want to achieve.”

Nevertheless, the focus remains on the here and now, with Alguacil clearly keen to keep his young squad’s feet firmly on the ground, which is no problem for the ever-humble Oyarzabal.

“We don’t have targets for May, our main target is the next game. We want to win every single game, if we think too far ahead we could lose the focus we need.” He’s equally quick to downplay individual targets, stating “Of course, I know how many goals and assists I have made, but the team is what really matters. I am happy with my current tallies at the midway point of the season, but I think that I can improve my numbers in front of goal.”

One area where the winger has developed notably is in his dribbling, which has doubled this season from 1.3 to 2.6 per 90 minutes; something he credits to his coach’s guidance. “I think that our style helps the attacking players to be protagonists. We have the freedom to make decisions in the final third and we try to play forwards, both in passing and dribbling. Imanol and I were together in the B team and he has the ability to get the best from me.”

Having now been a regular in the first team at la Real for over four years, Oyarzabal has bags of experience for a player of his age and feels that has perhaps given him an edge. “The experience of all these years in the first division gave me the capacity to read the game better”, he claims. “Now I think I am capable of searching and finding more spaces in the opposition’s defence.”

That said, he is very accepting of how much he can still improve, “in many areas, for sure. I have to improve my physical condition, try to be faster to take advantage of opponents mistakes. I also need to improve my ball control in these situations.”

Despite always looking to improve, Oyarzabal’s form has seen him linked with the likes of Manchester City, but it is fair to say he remains entirely committed to the club that raised him. “I don’t pay attention at all to those rumours. I am focused in my work at la Real,” he states.

“I have never thought about that (playing in another league). I am very young, and I hope to have a long career. I don’t know what the future has prepared for me.”

One thing that the youngster certainly has in his sights, however, is the upcoming European Championships in the summer having been a mainstay in the Spanish squad for much of last year.

That ended a three-year wait without a cap since receiving his first in 2016, though the Sociedad star admits he was under no illusions as to the reason behind that early call up.

“The first cap came while the team was preparing for the Euros and Vicente Del Bosque needed some young players to make the list.” Real Madrid and Atletico had played the Champions League final and their players were in need of a rest, with Oyarzabal speaking on the situation with great honesty. “It was clear to me that the reality was that wasn’t my place.”

It is a place that he’s fully justifying now, though ever the realist, Oyarzabal recognises that competition for places is strong as Spain look to transition following a disappointing World Cup in 2018.

“Spain has a huge pool of young talent and the last U21 Euros is the best example of that. I am focused on working hard with la Real. The international call came due to that work.”

He describes the opportunity to play at the European Championship this summer as “the dream of every player. A call up is the consequence of great effort during the season with your team, so it’s a double prize.”

There is that team ethic again. A player driven to succeed at club level, knowing that a place at the Euros is an honour one must earn. Oyarzabal undeniably has the work rate, desire and skill to do just that.