1. Early Life and Youth Career
Ignasi Miquel Pons was born on September 28, 1992, in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Miquel began his football journey at a young age, spending five years in the prestigious La Masia academy of FC Barcelona from 1999 to 2004. After his release from La Masia, he transitioned to UE Cornellà where he quickly progressed to the club's reserve team. His strong performances at Cornellà led to a call-up to the Spain U16 squad. His impressive displays for the Spanish youth side attracted attention from major European clubs, including trial offers from Manchester United and Valencia CF. Ultimately, Miquel opted to join Arsenal just after his 16th birthday in 2008, where he would continue his development.
2. Club Career
Ignasi Miquel's professional career spans multiple clubs across England and Spain, marked by various loan spells and transfers. His journey showcases his resilience and adaptability as a defender, navigating through different leagues and team dynamics.
2.1. Arsenal
Miquel officially joined Arsenal after his 16th birthday in 2008, making his initial debut for the club in the Zinedine Zidane Tournament held in Cannes. During the 2009-10 season, he made 12 appearances for the reserve team and was appointed as the reserve team captain. He was included in the first team squad for cup matches against Ipswich Town and Leeds United in January 2011, though he did not feature in either game.
On February 20, 2011, Miquel made his first competitive start for Arsenal in an FA Cup fifth-round match against Leyton Orient, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw. He again played the full 90 minutes in the FA Cup replay on March 2, 2011, where Arsenal secured a decisive 5-0 victory over Leyton Orient at the Emirates Stadium. He made two appearances in total during the 2010-11 season.
The 2011-12 season saw Miquel gain more first-team exposure, including appearances in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League. His Premier League debut came on August 20, 2011, against Liverpool, when he was substituted on in the 16th minute for the injured Laurent Koscielny in a match Arsenal lost 2-0. He made his League Cup debut in a 3-1 win against Shrewsbury Town and went on to play every minute of Arsenal's League Cup campaign that season, which concluded with a loss to Manchester City in the fifth round. On December 6, 2011, Miquel debuted in the UEFA Champions League during a 3-1 away defeat to Olympiacos, coming on as a substitute in the 51st minute. He made his first Premier League start on January 15, 2012, playing the full 90 minutes at left-back in a 3-2 defeat to Swansea City. By the end of the 2011-12 season, he had made nine appearances across all competitions.
In the 2012-13 season, Miquel scored his first career goal in a 6-1 League Cup victory over Coventry City, heading home a cross from Andrei Arshavin. He also featured in a memorable 7-5 League Cup win against Reading, playing 105 minutes. His sole Premier League appearance that season came as a late substitute in a 1-0 away win against Sunderland. For the remainder of the season, he primarily played for the development squad, often serving as captain. He made a total of three first-team appearances during the 2012-13 season.
2.1.1. Loan to Leicester City
On August 9, 2013, Miquel joined Championship side Leicester City on loan for the entire 2013-14 season. He made his debut for the club on August 27, 2013, in a 5-2 away win over Carlisle United in the League Cup. Miquel scored his first goal for Leicester on October 30, 2013, against Fulham in the League Cup, contributing to a 4-3 victory that saw his team advance to the quarter-finals. Despite scoring, Miquel struggled to secure a regular starting spot, largely due to the preferred partnership of Wes Morgan and Liam Moore in central defense. Nonetheless, he contributed to Leicester City's successful campaign, which resulted in their promotion to the Premier League. He finished his loan spell with 12 appearances and one goal across all competitions.
2.1.2. Norwich City
A few hours before the close of the 2014 summer transfer window, Miquel completed a permanent move to Championship club Norwich City, signing a three-year deal with an option for an additional 12 months. His debut for Norwich came on September 23, 2014, as a starter in a 0-1 League Cup loss to Shrewsbury Town. His only other appearance during the 2014-15 season was on January 3, 2015, in an FA Cup third-round 0-2 defeat against Preston North End. Miquel found it challenging to establish himself in Norwich's first team due to strong competition in defense, which often saw him relegated to the substitute bench or playing for the club's development squad. A potential loan move to Millwall ultimately did not materialize. He concluded his time at Norwich City with two appearances.
2.2. Ponferradina
On July 30, 2015, after his contract with Norwich City was mutually terminated early, Miquel returned to Spanish football, signing a two-year deal with SD Ponferradina in the Segunda División. He made his debut for Ponferradina in the opening game of the season, playing the entire match in a 2-0 victory over Elche CF. In a subsequent match, a 1-0 loss against RCD Mallorca, Miquel was responsible for conceding a penalty. Despite this setback, he generally managed to establish himself as a regular in Ponferradina's defense. However, on April 9, 2016, he was sent off in a 4-0 loss against CD Mirandés for abusing the referee, resulting in a four-match suspension. His absence coincided with Ponferradina's eventual relegation from the Segunda División. Miquel finished the season with 27 appearances across all competitions and was released by the club shortly after the season concluded.
2.3. Lugo
Following Ponferradina's relegation, Miquel moved to CD Lugo, also in the Segunda División, on July 1, 2016. He made his debut for CD Lugo in the season's opening game, playing the full match in a 2-2 draw against Gimnàstic. Two weeks later, he scored his first goal for the club in a 3-3 draw against Córdoba. Miquel quickly became a consistent starter for Lugo. He maintained his starting position from the opening game until he sustained an injury in late October. His return was short-lived, as he faced two suspensions. He scored again on February 10, 2017, in a 1-1 draw against Sevilla Atlético. After a brief period on the substitute bench towards the end of the 2016-17 season due to another injury, Miquel regained his first-team place, concluding his first season with 33 appearances and two goals in all competitions.
At the start of the 2017-18 season, Miquel missed the first match due to suspension. He made his first appearance of the season on August 27, 2017, playing the full game in a 0-2 loss against Sporting de Gijón. On August 25, 2017, he signed a contract extension with the club, keeping him until 2020. He then scored his first goal of the season on October 16, 2017, in a 1-0 win over AD Alcorcón, scoring in the 92nd minute. By the time of his departure from Lugo, Miquel had made 16 appearances and scored one goal in his second season. Overall, he played 50 matches and scored 3 goals for CD Lugo.
2.4. Málaga
On December 7, 2017, Miquel signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with La Liga side Málaga. The transfer was permitted outside the transfer window due to an injury to Juankar, providing Málaga with defensive reinforcement. Miquel made his Málaga debut on December 22, 2017, playing the entire game in a 1-0 loss against Deportivo Alavés. He featured regularly for the remainder of the campaign, making 20 league appearances, but the season ended in the club's relegation from La Liga. In total, he made 21 appearances for Málaga.
2.5. Getafe
On August 4, 2018, Miquel joined Getafe CF in La Liga, signing a four-year contract. However, he featured rarely for the club during his initial period. He made a total of 10 appearances for Getafe before being sent out on various loan spells.
2.5.1. Loan to Girona
On August 13, 2019, Miquel was loaned to Segunda División side Girona FC for one year. He made 24 official appearances for Girona, contributing to their season where the club narrowly missed out on promotion to La Liga in the play-offs.
2.5.2. Loan to Leganés
Miquel continued his loan spells on September 16, 2020, joining fellow second-tier club CD Leganés for one year. He made 22 appearances for the club during his time there.
2.5.3. Loan to Huesca
On August 31, 2021, Miquel moved to SD Huesca, another Segunda División club, on a one-year loan deal. He had a significant season with Huesca, making 34 appearances and notably scoring four goals, a high tally for a central defender. In total, he played 35 matches for the club.
2.6. Granada
On July 26, 2022, Miquel signed a three-year contract with Granada CF, a club that had recently been relegated to the Segunda División. He became a key player for Granada, contributing to their successful campaign that saw them win the Segunda División title and secure promotion back to La Liga. He made 34 appearances and scored one goal during the 2022-23 season. In the 2023-24 season, he made one appearance in La Liga before his contract with Granada was terminated by mutual consent on January 30, 2025. In total, he made 35 appearances for Granada.
2.7. Levante
On February 1, 2025, Miquel signed a six-month contract with Levante UD, a club competing in the Segunda División. The contract also includes an option for an additional season.
3. International Career
Ignasi Miquel has represented Spain at various youth international levels, demonstrating his talent from a young age. He played for the Spain U16 side early in his career.
He was subsequently called up to the Spain U19 squad on two occasions. Miquel made his Spain U19 debut on April 19, 2011, playing the full match in a 3-0 victory over Russia U19. He was an integral part of the Spain U19 squad that went on to win the 2011 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship, where he played every minute of every game throughout the tournament.
In early 2013, Miquel received a call-up to the Spain U21 squad. He made his debut for the U21 team on February 5, 2013, in a 1-1 draw against Belgium, coming on as a 57th-minute substitute for Jordi Amat. He was also named captain of the Spain U-21 team at one point.
4. Personal Life
Ignasi Miquel is the son of Xavier Miquel. In addition to his native Catalan, Miquel is proficient in English, a language he learned during his early career spell at Arsenal.
5. Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Arsenal | 2010-11 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2011-12 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||
| 2012-13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | ||
| Total | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 1 | ||
| Leicester City (loan) | 2013-14 | Championship | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | - | 12 | 1 | |
| Norwich City | 2014-15 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | |
| Ponferradina | 2015-16 | Segunda División | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 27 | 0 | ||
| Lugo | 2016-17 | Segunda División | 33 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 33 | 2 | ||
| 2017-18 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 17 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 49 | 3 | 1 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 50 | 3 | |||
| Málaga | 2017-18 | La Liga | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 21 | 0 | ||
| Getafe | 2018-19 | La Liga | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 10 | 0 | ||
| Girona (loan) | 2019-20 | Segunda División | 22 | 0 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 24 | 1 | ||
| Leganés (loan) | 2020-21 | Segunda División | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 22 | 0 | ||
| Huesca (loan) | 2021-22 | Segunda División | 34 | 4 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 35 | 4 | ||
| Granada | 2022-23 | Segunda División | 33 | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 34 | 1 | ||
| 2023-24 | La Liga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 34 | 0 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 35 | 1 | ||||
| Career total | 225 | 7 | 17 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 253 | 11 | ||
6. Honours
Ignasi Miquel has achieved significant team and individual honours throughout his career, particularly during his time with Granada CF and the Spanish national youth teams.
6.1. Club
- Segunda División: 2022-23 (with Granada)
6.2. International
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2011 (with Spain U19)
6.3. Individual
- 2011 UEFA European Under-19 Championship: Team of the Tournament