Zigor Aranalde

Zigor "Ziggy" Aranalde

Personal information
Full name	Zigor Aranalde Sarasola
Date of birth	(1973-02-28) 28 February 1973
Place of birth	Ibarra, Spain
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Left back
Team information
Current team	Carlisle United (manager)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1991–1992	Hernani	33	(3)
1992–1994	Eibar	45	(1)
1994–1996	Atlético Marbella	56	(0)
1996–1997	Sevilla	22	(0)
1997–1999	Albacete	51	(2)
1999–2000	Logroñés	39	(1)
2000–2005	Walsall	195	(5)
2005	Sheffield Wednesday	2	(0)
2005–2008	Carlisle United	109	(6)
2008–2009	Almansa
2009–2010	La Gineta
Total		552	(18)
International career
	Basque Country
Managerial career
2011–2013	Albacete (assistant)
2018	Watford (assistant)
2018–	Carlisle United (manager)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Zigor Aranalde Sarasola (born 28 February 1973) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a left back. He is currently manager of League Two club Carlisle United. Zigor, more commonly known as Ziggy is a cult-hero at League Two side Carlisle United.

Football career

Early years

Born in Ibarra, Gipuzkoa, Aranalde began his career at lowly CD Hernani, going on to spend eight of his nine professional seasons in his country in Segunda División.

In 1996–97, he was first-choice at Sevilla FC in La Liga but the Andalusians finished third from the bottom so they were relegated.

England

Aranalde joined Football League Second Division club Walsall on a two-year contract, just before the start of 2000–01. He spent just under five seasons at the Bescot Stadium, winning promotion via the play-off final in his first year and being a regular member until he was surprisingly released by manager Paul Merson, in March 2005; he moved on to Sheffield Wednesday immediately following his release, but was sent off in only his second game for the side and never appeared for them again.

In the summer of 2005, Aranalde signed for Carlisle United, who went on to win the championship and promote from League Two. He scored five goals during the course of the campaign, and was part of a squad which included two other former Walsall players, striker Karl Hawley and future Preston North End manager Paul Simpson; on 1 October he netted Bristol Rovers' 5000th ever goal in a 1–3 loss, in his own net.

On 16 May 2008, it was announced that Aranalde was being released from Carlisle alongside Paul Arnison and Grant Carson. Two years later, after playing some amateur football in his country, he returned to England in April 2010 when he was named chief scout at Brighton & Hove Albion in League One. He subsequently held scouting positions at West Bromwich Albion and was on the coaching staff at Albacete.

In January 2018 Aranalde was named assistant coach at Premier League side Watford, following the appointment of new head coach Javi Gracia.

On 7 May 2018, Aranalde left Watford to be appointed manager of Carlisle United on a five-year contract. He immediately appointed Derek Holmes and Paul Arnison as First Team Coaches, with former stopper Matthew Glennon taking over from Dan Watson as goalkeeping coach.

Honours

Walsall

• Division Two: 2000–01 playoff winner

Carlisle

• League Two: 2005–06

External links

• Zigor Aranalde at BDFutbol
• Zigor Aranalde at Soccerbase