Eder García, from the Donosti Cup to making his LaLiga debut with Athletic Club
The midfielder from Rentería played the tournament in 2018 with Touring KE and, eight years later, fulfilled his dream of making his First Division debut.
The Donosti Cup continues to see former participants make the leap to the elite level. The latest example is Eder García, who made his LaLiga debut this weekend with Athletic Club.
The midfielder from Rentería came on in the 69th minute of the match against Elche at San Mamés, replacing Unai Gómez and fulfilling his dream of playing in Spain’s top division. “At first, many things came to my mind, but once I started playing, I forgot about all of that and focused on doing what the coach told me,” he explained after the match.
Eight years before his debut at the highest level, Eder García played in the 2018 Donosti Cup with Touring KE. He was 12 years old at the time, competing in the B12 category, like so many young players who fill the pitches of Gipuzkoa every summer dreaming of one day reaching professional football.
After his time at Touring KE, he joined the youth academy of Real Sociedad, continuing his development at Zubieta. Last season, he switched from the blue-and-white side to the red-and-white club, joining Athletic’s reserve team from Sanse.
His performances with Bilbao Athletic, where he has been a regular starter in Primera RFEF, ultimately opened the doors to the first team managed by Ernesto Valverde. With his debut, he becomes the 659th academy player to make his first-team debut for Athletic Club and one of several young players to step up this season.
In his first words after debuting, Eder had a clear message for younger players: “I would tell them to keep doing what they’ve done since they were little, to keep working and not stop doing the things that got them here.”
Eight years after playing in the tournament with Touring KE, Eder García is now a First Division player. Congratulations, Eder!
