Veteran Spanish striker Aritz Aduriz shining bright in La Liga

Aritz Aduriz is the main man for Athletic. Credit: PA

By Will Unwin

Amid all the plaudits for the Barcelona front three in La Liga there is a man in Spain who has scored more than Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar this season.

Veteran Athletic Bilbao striker Aritz Aduriz already has 20 goals to his name this campaign in the same amount of appearances.

The target man is currently in his third - and best - spell at the San Mames as he outshines his competition.

As Spain's premier No.9, Diego Costa, fails to find the target with ball and bib at Chelsea the calls for Aduriz to be given an international call-up have increased, five years after he made his debut for La Roja.

Aduriz started off in amateur football before being picked up by Athletic as a teenager - he only managed three first-team games for the club before being sold to Real Valladolid, but returned to the San Mames after one impressive season with the Las Blanquivioletas.

During his previous spell at Athletic the 34-year-old spent a lot of time playing second fiddle to Fernando Llorente, as the club utilised their ubiquitous 4-5-1 formation and Aduriz struggled to get a look in, with his team-mate at the peak of his powers.

Aduriz is aided by the likes of Inaki Williams. Credit: PA

Now Aduriz is overshadowing the achievements of former San Mames hero Llorente, who led Athletic to a Europa League and Copa del Rey final in 2012.

An Aduriz hat-trick against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup gave Athletic their first piece of silverware in over 30 years, which saw the city of Bilbao come out in celebration of the man who wears the number 20 shirt.

Athletic Bilbao manager Ernesto Valverde praised his star man after his latest hatrick, he said: "We're very lucky to have him, but there's a problem, which is that he gets better with each passing year. He's very confident in his ability, very efficient and, for us, he's a gem."

Aduriz has one cap for Spain. Credit: Reuters

Thanks to his leap and intelligence in the area, Aduriz is the most potent striker in the air that La Liga can offer, netting three times with headers already this campaign.

The likes of Inaki Williams and Markel Susaeta provide the service from outwide for Aduriz, with the wingers ably assisted by Mikel Balenziaga and on of La Liga's best right-backs, Oscar De Marcos, on the overlap.

Aduriz scored at hat-trick against Ray Vallecano at the weekend. Credit: PA

Raul Garcia's summer arrival from Atletico Madrid has given defences more to think about from set-pieces, freeing up space for Aduriz to run into when the capable Benat delivers the ball, making them a fearsome duo in the box.

Aduriz is the man leading the charge as Athletic fight for a top four spot domestically and look to progress to the latter stages of the Europa League, something they have no chance of achieving without their striker.

This gluttonous period for Aduriz is not an Indian summer for the striker as he looks set to continue for a few more years, at least. The striker has 18 months left on his current deal and he's confident he will extend it.

If his form continues Spain boss Vicente del Bosque won't be able to resist bringing him into the national set-up, heaping more pressure on Chelsea's Costa, but Aduriz isn't focused on knocking stars of their perch just earning that extra inch that keeps head and shoulders above the rest in La Liga.