Óscar Vales

Óscar Vales

Personal information
Full name	Óscar Vales Varela
Date of birth	13 September 1974 (1974-09-13) (age 37)
Place of birth	Bilbao, Spain
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position	Defender
Youth career
1991–1994	Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1991	Baskonia	1	(0)
1994	Bilbao Athletic	14	(0)
1994–2005	Athletic Bilbao	178	(1)
1997–1999	→ Celta (loan)	58	(0)
2008–2009	Gatika
1991–2005	Total	251	(1)
National team
1993	Spain U18	3	(0)
1993	Spain U20	3	(0)
1994–1995	Spain U21	4	(0)
1995–1997	Basque Country	2	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Vales and the second or maternal family name is Varela.

Óscar Vales Varela (born 13 September 1974 in Bilbao, Biscay) is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a utility defender, and sometimes as a defensive midfielder.

Football career

Still in his teens, Vales appeared once for CD Baskonia, as the Basque club was in Segunda División B, and still not acting as Athletic Bilbao's feeder team, which only took place in 1997. Aged 17, he was purchased by Athletic and finished his football formation there.

After a handful of matches for the reserves, Vales made his first-team debut on 6 April 1994, playing as a defensive midfielder for a 0–3 loss at Real Oviedo; in the following decade, he would almost never be an automatic first-choice for Bilbao, but managed to appear regularly, in various defensive positions. On 6 December 1994, he scored a rare goal, at Parma AC for the season's UEFA Cup, but the Basque lost it 2–4 and 3–4 on aggregate.

Vales was loaned for two years to fellow La Liga side Celta de Vigo, playing UEFA Cup in his second season. In the 1999 summer, he returned to Athletic, managing to appear regularly in three seasons during his second spell. However, after only two matches combined from 2003–05, he decided to retire from the game, aged 30.

In 2008–09, after three seasons out of football, Vales joined longtime Athletic Bilbao teammate Aitor Larrazábal at regional side Gatika, the latter acting as manager. After one season, he retired for good, having appeared in 236 matches in Spain's top division.

External links

• BDFutbol profile
• Athletic Bilbao profile
• Celta Vigo biography (Spanish)

Persondata
Name	Vales, Oscar
Alternative names
Short description	Football player
Date of birth	13 September 1974
Place of birth	Bilbao, Spain
Date of death
Place of death