Julen Etxabeguren

After coming through the youth system at Real Sociedad, Etxabeguren progressed to their B-team where he was a regular for four years. In the 2013–14 season, he trained with the first team during pre-season and was named in their Champions League squad.[1] He was then affected by injury.[1] Despite being offered a new contract, he decided to give up football.[1]

Etxabeguren moved to Scotland to study for a master's degree in electronic engineering at the University of Edinburgh.[2] When he had nearly concluded that course, he considered resuming his football career.[1] Etxabeguren signed for semi-professional club East Fife, playing in Scottish League Two, in December 2014.[1][3] This was considered a surprising move for a player who had been at a relatively high level. Etxabeguren quickly became a cult hero with the Methil club,[2] with his arrival coinciding with an improvement in the team's form.[1][3]

On 2 June 2015, Dundee confirmed that Etxabeguren had signed a three-year deal with the club and would begin pre-season training in July.[4] He became a regular in the side, featuring in 40 Scottish Premiership matches between July 2015 and March 2017 despite needing surgery on an eye injury in January 2016,[5] but then ruptured his achilles tendon in a match against Partick Thistle[2] which resulted in a seven-month layoff. After returning in October 2017,[6] he only made one appearance from the bench[7] before sustaining a dislocated shoulder.[8] Etxabeguren was released by Dundee at the end of the season.[9]