Nahikari García

Nahikari García Pérez (born 10 March 1997) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a forward for Primera División side Real Sociedad and the Spain women's national football team.

Nahikari García
Personal information
Full name Nahikari García Pérez
Date of birth (1997-03-10) 10 March 1997
Place of birth Urnieta, Gipuzkoa, Spain[1]
Height 1.59 m (5 ft 3 in)[2]
Position(s) Forward
Club information
Current team
 Real Sociedad
Number 7
Youth career
2007–2012 Añorga
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2014 Añorga
2014– Real Sociedad 148 (80)
National team‡
2012–2014 Spain U17 21 (16)
2014–2016 Spain U19 26 (19)
2015– Basque Country 3 (1)
2016 Spain U20 4 (1)
2018– Spain 15 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22 September 2019
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 28 November 2020
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is García and the second or maternal family name is Pérez.

She begun her professional career with Añorga KKE before joining Real Sociedad in 2014. She has since made over 100 appearances and holds the club's record for the most goals scored in a single season with her return of 16 goals in 2016. During her time with Real, García has been nominated for the Primera División forward of the Season award and helped the club reach its first ever Copa de la Reina in 2019.

She also represented Spain at various youth levels, reaching three major tournament finals, and captained the U19 team before making her senior debut in 2018.

Club career

Early career

García started playing football at the age of nine in San Sebastián when she joined a sports programme with local side Urnieta.[3] The programme wasn't solely football based, however, which prompted to her to later leave to sign for Añorga KKE with whom she spent seven years plying her trade.[3][4]

Real Sociedad

In the 2014–15 winter transfer market Real Sociedad completed the signing of García, who was only sixteen at the time, from Añorga.[5] On 5 January, just days after signing for Sociedad, she was handed her Primera División debut by manager Unai Gazpio against Levante.[6][7] She ended the campaign with 10 goals to her name for the season.

In the following season García recorded a record-breaking tally of 16 goals for the season, the most ever in a single season by a Real Sociedad player.[3][8] Her seasonal haul included a notable goal against rivals Athletic and a hat-trick against Levante during December[9] which propelled Txuri-urdin to a fifth-placed finish in the Primera División, the club's highest placing since formation in 2004.[10] Real Sociedad also made the quarter-finals of the Copa de la Reina where they were eliminated 5–1 by eventual runners-up Barcelona, with García netting the only goal of the match for her club.[11] García's form throughout the season saw her nominated for the Primera División forward of the Season award.[12]

García has represented Real Sociedad since the age of 16.

Early in September 2016, García appeared alongside Charlyn Corral, Alexia Putellas, Iraia Iturregi and Amanda Sampedro in a video promoting the buildup to the 2016–17 season.[13] She scored her first hat-trick for the season on 9 December in a 4–0 league victory over Oiartzun and in April the following year signed a new two-year deal with the club.[14][15] A goal from García on the final match-day of the campaign was not enough to prevent Athletic from being crowned champions, as Real Sociedad went down 2–1 to their local Basque rivals.[16]

Real Sociedad struggled during the first half of the following season and in November the club sacked manager Juanjo Arregi. García was quick to dismiss criticism of her former coach in an interview with Mundo Deportivo, stating that she was saddened by his departure and that the players should shoulder some of the blame.[17] The following month, she scored five goals in a 6–1 win over Zaragoza and in the process helped the club move clear of the relegation zone.[18] She ultimately scored 17 goals for the season as Sociedad improved to end the campaign in seventh.[19] Following the conclusion of the season, she was afforded the opportunity to sign for French side Paris Saint-Germain but elected to remain with Sociedad and continue her medical studies in Spain.[20]

On 17 February 2019, García assisted teammate Kiana Palacios in Sociedad's 3–1 win over Sevilla and in doing so helped the club qualify for the final of the Copa de la Reina for the first time in its history.[21] The final took place on 11 May where García scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory over Atlético Madrid to guide Sociedad to its first-ever Cup win.[22]

International career

García has worn the number 7 jersey for both club and country during the course of her career. She credits former Real Madrid and Spain men's captain Raúl for her decision to wear the number, citing his style of play and on-field mentality as motivation in her own game.[3]

Spain national youth teams

García's first exposure to the Spanish youth teams came when she was just fifteen-years old when she was called up to replace a player who was unable to travel with the U17 team.[7]

In 2013 García, while representing Spain's U17 side, was awarded the Golden Boot award at the 2013 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship, ending the tournament as the top goalscorer and only player to have scored more than once.[23] Spain were ultimately eliminated by Sweden in the semi-finals but ended the tournament in third after beating Belgium in the third place playoff. She was again part of the squad for the 2014 edition of the tournament where Spain went one step further, this time ending as runners-up to Germany.[24][25] It was the second time in the same year that Spain had ended a major competition as runners-up, having lost to Japan in the final of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in April.[26]

In July 2016 García, who was Real Sociedad's only representative in the squad,[27] captained Spain to a silver medal at the UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship, losing 2–1 in the final to hosts France. She had two opportunities to draw Spain level but found herself the victim of a waterlogged pitch, missing a penalty in the opening half before skying a near-open goal opportunity in injury-time as a result of the on-field conditions.[28] The match was suspended for over two hours after half-time due to the weather conditions and upon the players' return to the pitch certain sections of the field were entirely waterlogged.[29] García was ridiculed by large sections of the media for the miss but received overwhelming support from her fan-base, prompting her to take to Instagram following the tournament to thank those who stood behind her and the team.[30] The showpiece match was her third appearance in a continental final, having previously ended as runner-up in the tournament's previous edition and as well as in the UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship in 2014.[31] The record is one which she shares with teammates Andrea Sánchez Falcón and Naria Garrote.[31]

Later that year, García was selected as one of the captains for the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup to be held in Papua New Guinea.[32] She made her debut on 13 November in Spain's opening match of the tournament, a 5–0 victory over Canada.[33] García scored her first and only goal for the tournament on 24 November in a 3–2 loss to South Korea that saw Spain eliminated in the quarter-finals.[34]

Spain senior national team

In August 2018, García was called up to the senior Spain squad for the first time by manager Jorge Vilda.[35] She made her debut on 31 August and scored within eight minutes of coming on as a second-half substitute in a 5–1 win over Finland.[36]

In 2019, García was called up for the 2019 World Cup.


Career statistics

Club
As of match played 22 September 2019
Club Season League Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Real Sociedad 2013–14[37] Primera División 84 10 94
2014–15[38] 269 — 269
2015–16[39] 2716 11 2817
2016–17[40] 2515 10 2615
2017–18[41] 3017 21 245
2018–19[42] 2916 43 3319
2019–20[43] 33 00 33
Career total 148809515785

International
As of match played 31 August 2019
National team Season Friendly Competitive Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Ratio
Spain 2018–19 80511310.07
2019–20 100010

International goals
GoalDateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
131 August 2018El Sardinero, Santander Finland5–15–12019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification

Honours

Club
Real Sociedad

International
Spain [44]

Individual

Sponsorships

García is currently sponsored by Spanish sportswear manufacturer Joma.[45]

Personal life
García during a discussion on women's football in 2019.

García's first name, Nahikari, derives from her Basque origin and represents the values of nobility, loyalty and intelligence.[46] Aside from football, she is also currently studying towards a degree in medicine and completed her first course in 2016. In an interview with AS in the same year she explained that while it was "a little crazy" to combine her degree with football, she felt that football helped her with her studies and vice versa.[47]

Superstition

García is fastidious when it comes to pre-match rituals. She plays with the same tape, wears two pairs of socks and always enters the field of play with her right foot first.[48]

References
  1. "Nahikari García: "La dinámica era muy negativa, necesitábamos un cambio"". La Liga (in Spanish). 28 December 2015. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  2. "Nahikari García Pérez". La Liga. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  3. Hall, Andy (13 May 2016). "Real Sociedad's Nahikari García gearing up for vintage year". AS. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  4. de la Casa, Javier (15 January 2014). "La nueva perla de la Real Sociedad: Nahikari García". Marca. Retrieved 3 August 2016.(in Spanish)
  5. Menayo, David (4 January 2014). "La Real Sociedad ficha a Nahikari García". Marca. Retrieved 1 August 2016.(in Spanish)
  6. "Nahikari Garcia, participante en la Donosti Cup, debuta con 16 años en 1ª División". Donosti Cup. Archived from the original on 1 August 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2016.(in Spanish)
  7. Ramon, Javier (3 September 2015). "Nahikari: "Un título con la Real sería muy especial"". El Rincon de la Real. Retrieved 7 August 2016.(in Spanish)
  8. Isasa, Xabier (12 April 2017). "Nahikari García tiene una oferta del Athletic". Mundo Deportivo. Retrieved 24 April 2017.(in Spanish)
  9. Badallo, Oscar (2 December 2015. "Agirretxe y Nahikari García, goles en txuriurdin". Marca. Retrieved 1 August 2016.(in Spanish)
  10. Rodriguez, N. (2 August 2016). "El objetivo es mejorar". Noticas de Gipuzkia. Retrieved 3 August 2016.(in Spanish)
  11. "Real Sociedad v FC Barcelona: Through to the semifinals (1–5)". FC Barcelona. 17 June 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  12. "Vota a la mejor atacante de la temporada 2015/16 de la Primera División Femenina". La Liga. 23 June 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2016.(in Spanish)
  13. "Charlyn Corral apareció en video promocional de La Liga". ESPN. 6 September 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2016.(in Spanish)
  14. "Nahikari García ya es una realidad de 19 años". AS. 9 December 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.(in Spanish)
  15. "La Real renueva a Nahikari García hasta 2019". El Diario Vasco. 28 April 2017. Retrieved 21 November 2017.(in Spanish)
  16. "Derrota frente al campeón". Noticias de Gipuzkoa. 21 May 2017. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 30 May 2017.(in Spanish)
  17. Isasa, Xabier (9 November 2017). ""Juanjo Arregi es un pedazo de entrenador"". Mundo Deportivo. Retrieved 21 November 2017.(in Spanish)
  18. Roldan, Isabel (4 December 2017). "Nahikari García, la 'doctora gol' de la Real Sociedad de Arconada". AS. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  19. "Nahikari Garcia". Soccerway. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  20. "Nahikari García, la internacional agranda su historia goleadora" (in Spanish). Real Federación Española de Fútbol. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  21. Ramajo, Roberto (17 February 2019). "La Real se clasifica para su primera final de Copa" (in Spanish). AS. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
  22. Martin, Richard (12 May 2019). "Real Sociedad women end Atletico double dreams with Cup win". Euro News. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  23. "García takes prize, Miedema sets record". UEFA. 28 June 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  24. Hart, Simon (19 August 2014). "2013/14: Andrea Sánchez". UEFA. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  25. "Nahikari García". Instagram (in Spanish). 3 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  26. "Spain bow to Japan in U17 world final". UEFA. 5 April 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  27. Estala, Iker (20 July 2016). "Nahikari García tumba a Alemania". Vavel. Retrieved 9 August 2016.(in Spanish)
  28. Offord, Jen (31 July 2016). "Nahikari Garcia double-miss hands France Women's Euro U19 trophy in water-logged final". Eurosport. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  29. "France – Spain final re-starts after two hour rain delay". AS. 31 July 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  30. "Nahikari Garcia agradece las muestras de apoyo vía Instagram". Mundo Deportivo. 3 August 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.(in Spanish)
  31. Saffer, Paul (30 July 2016). "Nahikari García's Spain lowdown". UEFA. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  32. "Nahikari: "Es gibt nichts Schöneres als ein Finale"". FIFA. 28 September 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2016.(in German)
  33. "Canada falls 5–0 to Spain in FIFA women's under-20 World Cup". Globe and Mail. 13 November 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
  34. "Nahikari García y Mariasun Quiñones, eliminadas del Mundial Sub-20". Mundo Deportivo. 24 November 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2016.(in Spanish)
  35. Olazabal, Borja (27 August 2018). "Nahikari García: "Estaba llamando a las puertas de la selección con todas mis fuerzas"" (in Spanish). El Diario Vasco. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  36. "Debut in a big way by Nahikari García" (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  37. BDFútbol
  38. BDFútbol
  39. BDFútbol
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  43. BDFútbol
  44. "Nahikari García". Soccerway.
  45. Roldan, Isabel (26 February 2015). "Nahikari: "En el fútbol hay que tener ambición y querer más"". AS. Retrieved 7 August 2016.(in Spanish)
  46. Kusuma Ward, Wulan (27 February 2015). "Nahikari Garcia, Gol-Gol Di Masa Depan Berasal Dari Real Sociedad". Women's Soccer ID. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  47. Roldan, Isabel (21 July 2016). "Nahikari: "El fútbol me ayuda con mis estudios de Medicina"". AS. Retrieved 3 August 2016.(in Spanish)
  48. "Nahikari García, el presente y el futuro del gol en España". Marca. 24 February 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2016.(in Spanish)
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