Club loyalty is increasingly rare in modern football, particularly at the highest levels of the game. However, as with all rules, there are some exceptions. Players who stay with one club for the bulk or all of their careers still exist and La Liga is home to some of the longest-serving one-club players in Europe. This summer, the Spanish top flight bid farewell to its most loyal player. Andreas Iniesta had graced the Nou Camp field for 16 years before announcing his decision to move on from Barcelona and end his decorated career with Vissel Kobe in Japan.
The playmaker and former captain of La Blaugrana finished his association with the Calatan club in the same way he spent the majority of his time there – lifting a trophy. The 34-year-old helped Barcelona to one final La Liga title, adding to his incredible haul of trophies with the Spanish giants over the years.
Iniesta will be sorely missed throughout the upcoming La Liga season, but his departure has left an opening for a new player to claim the title as most loyal in the Spanish league. In this feature, we look at the six longest-serving players at clubs in Spain’s top flight.
#6 Imanol Agirretxe – Real Sociedad
Signed: December 1st, 2007
Time at current club: 3,911 days/10 years and 9 months
Appearances: 270
Goals: 74
A true one-club man, Imanol Agirretxe came through the youth setup at Real Sociedad and has spent his whole career at Anoeta Stadium.
The forward graduated from the under-19 team in 2005 and went on to play for the Sociedad B side for two and a half years, making 110 appearances during that time. He also managed three brief substitute appearances for the first team in the 2004/05 season but officially remained a B team squad until December 2007.
The Spaniard’s real opportunity at Sociedad came in the 2008/09 season when he made 28 appearances for Txuri-urdinak in the Spanish second division. He helped the club gain promotion to La Liga the following season, scoring six times as Sociedad won the Segunda Division.
#5 Markel Susaeta – Athletic Bilbao
Signed: July 1st, 2007
Time at current club: 4,064 days/11 years and 1 month
Goals: 55
Athletic Bilbao’s current captain, Markel Susaeta began his career with Los Leones and will most likely end it there too.
The right winger spent eight years playing for Bilbao’s various youth teams before earning a place in their under-19 squad in 2004. In 2006 he was promoted to the Bilbao Athletic “B” team and just a year after that was called up as a permanent fixture in the first team squad.
#4 Marcelo – Real Madrid
Signed: January 1st, 2007
Time at current club: 4,242 days/11 years and 7 months
Appearances: 453
Goals: 33
One of the best full-backs in the world, Marcelo has reached dizzying heights during his time at Real Madrid.
#3 Bruno Soriano – Villareal
Signed: July 1st, 2006
Time at current club: 4,429 days/12 years and 1 month
Appearances: 415
Goals: 31
Another club captain and legend, Bruno Soriano has been instrumental in keeping Villareal in the Spanish top flight since their return in 2013.
The defensive midfielder spent much of his youth career at Villareal before transferring to the B team in 2004. He spent three years there, making 54 appearances and was eventually named as part of the first team squad for the 2006/07 season.
#2 – Real Madrid
Signed: August 31st, 2005
Time at current club: 4,763 days/13 years
Appearances: 565
Goals: 74
Love him or hate him, Sergio Ramos deserves a huge amount of respect for his achievements during his time at Real Madrid.
The central defender came up through the youth ranks at Sevilla and made 45 competitive appearances for Los Hispalenses over two seasons before Real Madrid swooped in with a €27 million record bid in 2005.
That move would shape the whole career of Ramos as he replaced the much loved Fernando Hierro in the heart of Los Blancos’ defense and has since gone on to achieve astonishing heights at the Bernebeau.
#1 Lionel Messi – Barcelona
Signed: July 1st, 2005
Time at current club: 4,794 days/13 years and 1 month
Appearances: 552
Goals: 240
Beating Ramos to the number one spot by a mere 31 days, Messi has become the longest-serving one-club player in La Liga since the departure of Andreas Iniesta.
Having been spotted by Barcelona scouts at the age of 12, Messi joined the La Masia Academy in July 2000. He spent just a year there before joining Barcelona’s “Baby Dream Team” which included the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique.