Spanish-born striker Urain named in Scotland U21 squad
There were more than a few new faces in the Scotland Under-21 squad named by Scot Gemmill for next month’s friendly matches against Northern Ireland but perhaps the most intriguing is striker Ewan Urain.
Basque-born to a Biscayan father and Scottish mother the 21-year-old plays for Athletic Bilbao’s second-string side, Bilbao Athletic, in the Spanish third tier and has contributed four goals in 18 matches this term.
Urain – or Ewan Urain Roy Aird to give him his full name – joined Los Leones in 2015 after a spell with hometown side Cultural Durango in Biscay.
He turned out for the club at Under-16 and U17 level before hitting 19 goals for the U18 side. In 2018 he scored 13 goals for Spanish fourth-tier side CD Basconia, based in Basauri, which serves as a feeder club for Athletic Bilbao.
Notable players to have turned out for Basconia include Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga; midfield
er Ander Iturraspe, who made more than 300 appearances for Athletic Bilbao; Manchester City and Spain defender Aymeric Laporte, and former
Swansea, Spurs, and Juventus striker Fernando Llorente, currently with Napoli.
Urain has since spent two seasons playing for the club’s B team, although he has been training with the first team since the start of the 2020/21 campaign following a request from then manager Gaizka Garitano. He featured in three pre-season friendlies, coming close to setting up a goal in a 2-2 draw with SD Eibar and providing an assist for Iker Muniain in a 3-1 defeat by UD Logroñés.
Bilbao Athletic finished second in the initial stage of Segunda
Division B in Group 2 Subgroup A, qualifying for the promotion groups where they again finished second and reached the promotion playoffs.
Although the side defeated Celta Vigo’s B team – including another young Scot in Jordan Holsgrove – in the first round with Urain scoring the winner, they lost to Burgos in extra time in the second round. However, their performance will see them compete in the brand new Primera División RFEF, which will serve as the country’s new third tier, from the start of the 2021/22 season.