Gaizka Mendieta Zabala is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
12 Facts About Gaizka Mendieta
2.
Gaizka Mendieta fell out of favour with manager Gareth Southgate, who made it clear that the player no longer featured in his plans.
3.
Gaizka Mendieta played his last game on 26 December 2006, against Everton.
4.
Gaizka Mendieta said in an interview with the BBC on 3 November 2009 that he might be interested in football management: "A part of me can see the excitement and challenge of being a manager, definitely".
5.
Gaizka Mendieta featured and scored for the unofficial Basque Country regional team.
6.
Gaizka Mendieta was sponsored by sportswear company Nike, and appeared in commercials for the brand.
7.
Gaizka Mendieta worked as a pundit on Sky Sports' UK television coverage of Spanish football.
8.
Gaizka Mendieta's father Andres was a footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
9.
However, both later signed for Athletic Bilbao, while Gaizka Mendieta never featured for a Basque club; him and his father both represented Spain at the Olympic Games tournament, the latter in 1968 and the former in 1996.
10.
Gaizka Mendieta was a talented athlete as a youth and came close to pursuing middle-distance running as a career over football.
11.
Gaizka Mendieta was a fan of music, and in particular had a passion for DJing; he appeared on-stage at the Benicassim festival in 2015 during a set by the band Los Planetas, whose song "Un buen dia" referenced him in its lyrics.
12.
Gaizka Mendieta stated that Ruud Gullit was his footballing hero as an adolescent, due to the Dutchman's unconventional style.