Unai Simon is a Spanish-born professional footballer who is a goalkeeper for La Liga club Athletic Bilbao and the Spain national team.
Simon started his senior career with the Athletic farm team, CD Basconia before getting promoted to the reserve team in 2016.
He started playing with the main squad in 2018.
On an international level, he has represented Spain at UEFA Euro 2020, FIFA World Cup 2022, and UEFA Euro 2024.
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Early life and career
Simon was born in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Alava, and raised in a nearby village of Murgia. His father was a member of the Guardia Civil from the Province of Zamora.
He met Simon's mother, a member of the Ertzaintza (the local police force) while he was assigned to a security posting in the Basque Country, a community in Northern Spain.
Simon joined the local club CD Aurrera de Vitoria in 2010 when he was 13 years old. He joined Athletic Bilbao's Academy the following year.
Who is his wife?
Simon is yet to get married. But he does have a girlfriend.
He mentioned his girlfriend during an interview back in 2021 while recalling the moment when he caused his own goal in the 5-3 last-16 win over Croatia in UEFA Euro 2020.
He was unable to control a long backward pass by Pedri leading the ball to end up in Spain's empty net.
Simon confessed to torturing himself a bit by watching it six or seven times but couldn't find an answer to how it happened.
He said people asked him if the sun was in his eyes but it was not the sun he miscontrolled it.
"I had enough space to control it well. I tried to push it back out in front of me instead of just trapping it dead but in the end, it was just an accident", he said.
He also said that talking to his girlfriend and his family after the game, they asked themselves what might have been if they had lost it.
Age
He was born on the 11th of June, 1997. He is currently 27 years old.
Net Worth
His net worth is estimated to be around $5 million.
Spanish manager Luis Enrique praised him for his response to his mistake in Euro 2020
Simon saved two penalties in the shootout vs Croatia and helped Spain lift the Nations League trophy after 11 years.
He was highly praised for using his feet to save a penalty by Lovro Majer and Bruno Petkovic.
Spanish manager Luis Enrique praised Simon saying that his attitude showed why they have faith in him who has been first-choice since making his debut last November.
He told the reporter that Simon had taught everyone a lesson. After a mistake, your mistake does not matter, but your attitude after the mistake.
Simon will undergo wrist surgery after Euro 2024
Simon in a press conference confirmed that he has been playing through a wrist injury and will undergo surgery after the European Championship.
He also stated that the injury won't cause him trouble in competing.
According to him, it's something he hasn't wanted to give importance to until after the Euro because it hasn't prevented him from playing, nor it has worried him.
He also stated that only can speak about it in detail on the 15th of July.