1. Early life and background
Miguel Gutiérrez Ortega was born on 27 July 2001, in Madrid, Spain. He began his football journey at the age of five, joining the youth academy of Getafe CF. In 2011, he moved to the prestigious Real Madrid academy. He stands 71 in (180 cm) tall and weighs 161 lb (73 kg). During his time in the youth ranks, Gutiérrez distinguished himself as a key player for various Spanish youth national teams, drawing significant attention as a promising talent. His potential was recognized early, with then-Manchester United coach José Mourinho expressing interest in signing the young Spaniard in July 2017 when Gutiérrez was just 16 years old. However, Gutiérrez ultimately chose to remain at Real Madrid to continue his development.
2. Club career
Miguel Gutiérrez Ortega's club career has seen him progress through the esteemed youth system of Real Madrid CF before making a significant move to Girona FC, where he has established himself as a key player.
2.1. Real Madrid
Gutiérrez joined the Real Madrid academy in 2011. His talent was quickly recognized, and in the summer of 2019, coach Zinedine Zidane promoted him to the first team to participate in the Audi Cup, following an injury to new signing Ferland Mendy. This promotion made him the first player born in 2001 from Real Madrid's training center to join the first team squad. Even before making his professional debut, Gutiérrez signed a contract extension with Real Madrid in March 2020, committing to the club until 2024. In July of the same year, he was included on the first-team bench for a match, effectively bypassing Real Madrid Castilla, the club's reserve team. For the 2020-21 season, he was registered as a "Type 2" player, further highlighting his potential as a new force within the squad.
He scored his first professional goal for Real Madrid Castilla on 18 October 2020, in a match against Las Rozas CF. After becoming a regular starter for Castilla, he was re-promoted to the first team in April 2021. Gutiérrez made his professional debut for Real Madrid on 21 April 2021, coming on as a substitute in a 3-0 away victory over Cádiz CF. His first start for the senior team occurred on 15 May 2021, in a 4-1 away win against Granada CF.
2.2. Girona FC
On 5 August 2022, Miguel Gutiérrez signed a contract with Girona that extends until 30 June 2027. As part of the transfer agreement, Real Madrid retained 50% of his economic rights and included a sell-on clause. He made his debut for Girona on the first matchday of the 2022-23 season, entering the match as a substitute for Valery in the 61st minute of a 1-0 away loss to Valencia CF.
Gutiérrez scored his first goal for Girona on 4 March 2023, though it came in a 3-2 league defeat to his former club, Getafe CF. A more significant goal followed on 11 December 2023, when he scored against Barcelona in a memorable 4-2 away victory. This win marked Girona's first-ever triumph against Barcelona in their history.
3. International career
Miguel Gutiérrez Ortega has been a prominent figure in Spain's youth national teams since 2017. He was consistently called up to various youth squads and played a key role in their campaigns. In 2018, he participated in the UEFA European Under-17 Championship with the U-17 national team. The following year, in 2019, he competed in the UEFA European Under-19 Championship with the U-20 team, where he experienced tournament victory.
He has represented Spain at multiple youth levels, accumulating significant experience:
- Spain U-17: 11 appearances, 2 goals
- Spain U-18: 5 appearances, 0 goals
- Spain U-19: 11 appearances, 1 goal
- Spain U-21: 1 appearance, 0 goals
Most recently, Gutiérrez was part of the Spain U23 squad that won the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
4. Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Real Madrid Castilla | 2020-21 | Segunda División B | 15 | 1 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 15 | 1 | ||
| 2021-22 | Primera División RFEF | 16 | 2 | - | - | - | 16 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 31 | 3 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 31 | 3 | ||||
| Real Madrid | 2020-21 | La Liga | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | La Liga | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
| Girona | 2022-23 | La Liga | 34 | 2 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 36 | 2 | ||
| 2023-24 | La Liga | 35 | 2 | 5 | 0 | - | - | 40 | 2 | |||
| 2024-25 | La Liga | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | - | 28 | 2 | ||
| Total | 90 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 104 | 6 | ||
| Career total | 130 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 145 | 9 | ||
5. Honours
Miguel Gutiérrez Ortega has achieved several team and individual honours throughout his career:
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2021-22
- UEFA Champions League: 2021-22
Real Madrid Juvenil A
- UEFA Youth League: 2019-20
Spain U19
- UEFA European Under-19 Championship: 2019
Spain U23
- Summer Olympics gold medal: 2024
Individual
- La Liga U23 Player of the Month: April 2024
- La Liga Team of the Season: 2023-24