Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabla says the players are determined to have a long Copa del Rey run this season.

Athletic open their campaign on Sunday against UD Alzira.

Agirrezabla said, "With this format [single-legged ties], playing out lower-ranked sides at their home ground can make things very difficult. If we give a solid performance, both in defence and in attack, we'll have a good chance of going through to the next round."

With Unai Simón holding on to the no.1 spot, the 21-year-old is yet to make an appearance in official competition this season. However, he understands "competition for places is high" and is willing to wait for his moment.

"We all want to play as much as possible and my wish is to get minutes at Athletic. I've never considered leaving," he said.

"The manager hasn't said anything to me about if I'll play this Sunday. If I get picked, I'll do my best to help the team get through to the next round.

"Athletic has a reputation for producing good goalkeepers and this is proving to be true. Competition for places is high, but I'm going to keep training hard, keep improving and make sure I'm ready to play in any match.

"The atmosphere between the keepers here is very good and this can help me improve as a goalkeeper and as a person. I haven't played for a while, since pre-season, and I had back-to-back injuries, so all the minutes I can get will help my performance and confidence."