Ones to Watch - The youngster behind Real Sociedad’s Europa League charge: Mikel Oyarzabal

On November 9th 2015 David Moyes was sacked as manager of Real Sociedad. The great British hope, the flag bearer for future coaches to head over to foreign shores and prove they can succeed, was gone. It came as no great surprise as despite having a preseason to settle in there wasn’t a noted improvement. The football on show was dire, the fans were bored and the players uninterested. He left them outside of the relegation zone on goal difference.

In the days afterwards a lot of people tried to point the finger of blame at the club and its supporters for their unrealistic ambitions of wanting to challenge the top six. This was a team that had lost its talisman in Antoine Griezmann but one which still harboured ideas of getting back into the mix for the European places. “This side, in its current state, cannot challenge the Top 10 let alone the Top Six,” they said.

There was an attempt to smear the new coach, Eusebio, after he lost half of his first six games in charge. “There isn’t a noticeable difference in Real Sociedad since the departure of Moyes.” I found this line bemusing because there clearly was an improvement in not only style but attitude, desire and belief. Under Moyes the players - and fans - had already lost the match before the game kicked off. A defeatist mentality which served to only drag them further down the table. Eusebio changed all that from the get-go and implemented the style most expected Moyes to bring, and then went even further by making it effective.

In amongst this many faults over here, there is one positive: he saw potential in the youth ranks. Carlos Vela is easily the most talented member of the squad but with him and many others failing to perform, Moyes took solace in the future of Real Sociedad looking bright. He saw great potential in Mikel Oyarzabal, a tricky young forward who had a huge desire to learn and improve.

Mikel was actually born Eibar and was on their books as a youngster until he signed for La Real aged 14. It wasn’t the first time a club had tried to prize him away from his hometown as city rivals Athletic Club offered him a scholarship previously. His parents rejected the idea of leaving Eibar’s academy at that time as they were happy with his progress under German Andueza Berregi.

Mikel doesn’t have an agent which is a rare thing, but also another indication of how grounded this youngster is. The opportunity to join Real Sociedad came at the right time for the player but, when his former youth side Eibar looked set to be relegated, he asked to return on loan. His wish was granted and he single-handedly kept his old side in the division. It felt like he had repaid the debt for all the time, effort and resources they’d given him.

The youngster continued to impress not only on the football pitch but also in the classroom. He was a grade A student and didn’t want to put all his eggs into one basket, knowing how precarious a life in football can be - especially for one still in the youth team. “"He is very mature considering his age. He is studying Business Administration at University of Deusto and, despite the fact he has signed a millionaire contract, he is attending lessons regularly,” adds Oier Fano Dadebat, a local journalist who covers Real Sociedad. “It is important to remark he has a humble family who conveys the player that he should work hard to keep on the crest of the wave.”

David Moyes called Mikel at the last minute to invite him to spend the preseason with the first team squad. He impressed the Scot but still started the campaign with the reserves.

On October 25th he earned a call-up to the senior side and made his debut coming on as a late substitute for Carlos Vela, with La Real already 4-0 up. Moyes wouldn’t last much longer but new man Eusebio was equally as impressed with the talented forward. After a few substitute appearances he’s finally earned his place in the starting XI and they’ve won every game since - four on the spin to be precise. Mikel has played a key role in all of them, scoring three times.

The versatility of one so young is what makes him so unique. He’s caused a lot of damage on the left wing but he’s equally as comfortable playing anywhere along the front three. A calm, precise dribbler who can accelerate away from his marker makes him a tough customer for any full back. One of Mikel’s main traits is his incredible shooting accuracy. Most wingers are often panned for their end product but that isn’t the case here, no doubt aided by his size 12 feet.

He demonstrated against Athletic Club that there’s more to his game than just your standard forward. He’s comfortable at holding up play, turning back and waiting for a better option to present itself. There’s no headless chicken type galloping down the wing for example. In the derby he was tasked with a more defensive role to help nullify the threat of Oscar De Marcos. He pulled off the task impeccably as Athletic’s main fullback was kept very quiet throughout.

The general feeling amongst supporters is that Mikel is the best player since Griezmann to come through their ranks, one which is backed by Mikel Recalde, who covers La Real for Noticias de Gipuzkoa. “There are a lot of similarities between the two in that they’re happy to play off a main striker as well as lead the line. Both possess strong shooting ability and show maturity beyond their years. Of course, Griezmann himself is on another level to most strikers at the moment but it’s a glowing recommendation for Mikel to even has his name mentioned alongside the Frenchman,” Recalde adds.

Earlier this month the player penned a new 5-year deal, raising his release clause to a staggering €40m. It’s a fair fee considering how valued he is up in San Sebastian and with Vela, although in rich vein of form right now, set to leave in the summer even more pressure will be placed on Mikel’s shoulders. So far, he looks more than up for the task.

David Moyes identified him as someone with a bright future but if he had followed up his initial faith in Mikel with an extended run in the first team when established senior players were letting him down, who knows, maybe Moyes would still be in a job now.

A very special thanks to Mikel Recalde (@MikRec) and Oier Fano Dadebat (@oierfano) for their help and time. Both can be found on Twitter, generally talking about Real Sociedad.