Job Ochieng: Harambee Stars Winger Signs New Real Sociedad Deal After First Team Breakthrough

Job Ochieng has secured a new contract with Real Sociedad following his breakthrough into the first team.

Real Sociedad has officially announced the contract renewal of Harambee Stars winger Job Ochieng, the latest academy product to break into the first team.

The Kenyan winger made his debut against Elche on matchday 23, becoming the first youth player to be handed a senior appearance by American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo.

The club confirmed on Friday afternoon that an agreement has been reached to extend Job Ochieng's contract until 2028. His previous deal was set to expire this summer.

"OFFICIAL STATEMENT | Job Ochieng renews until 2028," the club confirmed.

Job Ochieng: Harambee Stars Winger Impresses Real Sociedad First Team

The attacker earned his chance to train with the senior squad following injuries to key players like Takefusa Kubo, Ander Barrenetxea, and Arsen Zakharyan.

With Gonçalo Guedes as the only available winger, Ochieng answered the call from the New Jersey-born manager and made his debut against Elche.

He is the first academy graduate, or 'potrillo', to be introduced into the first-team setup by Matarazzo. Dani Díaz, who featured in the Copa del Rey match at Mendizorrotza, had already received his first minutes under former coach Imanol Alguacil.

Born in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2003, Ochieng arrived at Real Sociedad's Zubieta training ground at the age of 20 from Maspalomas.

He was the primary reason the club established a partnership agreement in 2022 with the Canary Islands team, whose sporting director is San Sebastián native Carlos Gaumet.

"I'm a die-hard Real Sociedad fan," Gaumet explained to DV less than a year ago. "Three years ago, we had a very interesting player, a very good youth prospect. Through my ex-brother-in-law, who is an agent, we sent videos to San Sebastián. They wanted to see him in person."

Job Ochieng Football Journey

Ochieng began his football journey in his native Kenya with Express FC before moving to Gran Canaria at 17 in search of an opportunity.

His stay on the island was funded by family and friends. The experience was not without hardship; a delay in a monthly payment once led to him being put out on the street by his residence.

Now, having recently turned 23, he is a top-flight player. Before his promotion, the winger started with the C team and has been a standout performer for the B team, Sanse, this season. He is the second Kenyan player to wear the 'txuri-urdin' shirt, following in the footsteps of McDonald Mariga.

Aritz Elustondo's Contract Nearing Its End

Meanwhile, Aritz Elustondo, who reached 300 appearances for Real Sociedad on November 30th against Villarreal, has a contract with the club until June 30, 2026. He is the only first-team player whose current deal expires this summer.

At 31, the defender from Beasain has matched the official appearance counts of club legends Óscar de Paula and Mikel González.

Only Mikel Oyarzabal (411 matches) and Igor Zubeldia (314) have played more than 300 games for the club among the current squad.

Aritz broke into the senior team at just 20 years old, and his versatility has secured him a permanent place in the first-team roster.