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Iker Muniain

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Iker Muniain
Muniain playing for Athletic Bilbao in 2014
Personal information
Full name Iker Muniain Goñi
Date of birth (1992-12-19) 19 December 1992 (age 31)
Place of birth Pamplona, Spain
Height 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Winger / Forward
Team information
Current team
 Athletic Bilbao
Number 19
Youth career
2000–2005 Chantrea
2005–2009 Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2010 Bilbao Athletic 19 (3)
2009– Athletic Bilbao 187 (20)
International career‡
2008 Spain U16 2 (1)
2008–2009 Spain U17 20 (2)
2010 Spain U19 5 (0)
2011 Spain U20 1 (0)
2011–2014 Spain U21 31 (7)
2012 Spain U23 3 (0)
2012– Spain 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 6 April 2015
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14 October 2014

Template:Spanish name Iker Muniain Goñi (Basque: [iker muniaiŋ ɡoɲi], Spanish: [ˈiker muˈnjaiŋ ˈɡoɲi]; born 19 December 1992) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Athletic Bilbao mainly as a left winger.

Due to his style of play and stature, he was dubbed "the Spanish Messi" by the media.[1] He spent most of his career with Athletic Bilbao after debuting in 2009 as their youngest player in a competitive match, making over 200 appearances for the club and reaching the finals of the Copa del Rey and Europa League in 2012.

Muniain made 59 appearances for Spain at youth level, winning the European Under-21 Championship in 2011 and 2013. He also featured at the 2012 Olympics, in the same year as his senior international debut.

Club career

Born in Pamplona, Navarre, Muniain was a product of Basque giants Athletic Bilbao's youth ranks. He made his first-team debut on 30 July 2009, in a UEFA Europa League qualifying match against BSC Young Boys: he entered the field as a 59th-minute substitute for Gaizka Toquero in an eventual 0–1 home defeat, thus becoming the youngest player ever to wear Athletic's shirt in an official game, at 16 years, 7 months and 11 days old.

One week later Muniain scored his first goal for the club, in the return match in Switzerland, Athletic won 2–1 and qualified for the playoff rounds. In this match he again entered the club's record books, as the youngest ever player to score a goal (16 years, 7 months and 18 days) in an official match.[2]

On 30 August 2009 another record befell, as Muniain appeared (and started) in the 1–0 home win against RCD Espanyol (2009–10's opener), becoming the youngest player to have donned the club's shirt in La Liga. Two weeks later, he scored again in European competition, 3–0 at home against Austria Wien, after a good team move involving Andoni Iraola and veteran Joseba Etxeberria.[3]

Muniain became the youngest player to score in a first division match, as he netted in a 2–2 draw at Real Valladolid on 4 October 2009, aged only 16 years and 289 days.[4][5] On 1 December he signed his first professional contract with Athletic, running until June 2015.[6] On the 6th, after nearly one month out due to injury, he returned to action, scoring as a 51st-minute substitute to give Athletic the lead, albeit in a 1–2 loss to Valencia CF; he set up both of his team's goals in the next game, a 2–1 win at Real Zaragoza, and finished his first senior season with 35 official appearances and six goals.

Muniain was an undisputed starter for Athletic in the 2010–11 campaign, featuring as a left winger for the Joaquín Caparrós-led side. On 17 April 2011 he scored a last-minute goal in a 2–1 away win against hometown club CA Osasuna, helping his team come from behind;[7] he was initially booked for taking his hand to his ear during his celebrations – before signing for Athletic at the age of 12, he played for Chantrea in Pamplona, and always considered Osasuna as a rival organisation – which meant a suspension for his fifth yellow card of the season,[8] but it was later lifted; being able to take part in the following matchday, the derby against Real Sociedad, he netted another, in a 2–1 home success.[9]

Muniain appeared in 58 contests overall in 2011–12, scoring on nine occasions as the Lions reached both the Europa League and the Copa del Rey finals.[10] On 1 December 2013 he netted the game's only goal at the San Mamés Stadium, to hand FC Barcelona its first league loss of the new season;[11] eighteen days later he celebrated his 21st birthday by grabbing a brace in a 4–0 domestic cup home win over Celta de Vigo, which signified his team progressed through to the round-of-16 4–1 on aggregate.[12]

On 4 April 2015, during a game against Sevilla, Muniain suffered the first serious injury of his career, being sidelined for several months with an anterior cruciate ligament ailment to his left knee.[13]

International career

Muniain (back) chasing Abdelatif Noussir at the 2012 Olympics.

On 8 February 2011, at the age of only 18, Muniain made his debut with the under-21 team in a match against Denmark, replacing Adrián López. Subsequently, he was selected by manager Luis Milla to the squad that appeared in the 2011 UEFA European Football Championship, appearing in all the games as the national team won its third title in the category and qualified to the 2012 Summer Olympics.

On 24 February 2012, Muniain was called up to the senior team for the first time, for a friendly with Venezuela. Five days later, he came on for Cesc Fàbregas in the 74th minute of the 5–0 win in Málaga.[14] Later that year, at the Olympics in London, he made two appearances as Spain exited in the group stage without scoring a goal.

Honours

Club

Country

Spain U21
Spain U19
Spain U17

Individual

Statistics

Club

As of 11 January 2015[15][16]
Club Season League Cup Europe Other [17] Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Bilbao Athletic 2008–09 13 1 – – – 13 1
2009–10 6 2 – – – 6 2
Total 19 3 – – – 19 3
Athletic Bilbao 2009–10 26 4 0 0 9 2 0 0 35 6
2010–11 35 5 3 0 – – 38 5
2011–12 33 2 9 2 16 5 – 58 9
2012–13 33 1 2 0 8 1 – 43 2
2013–14 35 7 4 2 – – 39 9
2014–15 25 1 7 0 9 1 – 41 2
Total 187 20 25 4 42 9 0 0 254 33
Career totals 206 23 25 4 42 9 0 0 273 36


International

As of 29 February 2012
National team Season Apps Goals
Spain 2012 1 0
Total 1 0

References

  1. ^ "Manchester United given go-ahead to sign the "New Messi"". Sports Vibe. 19 October 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
  2. ^ Spirit shows through on exciting night; UEFA.com, 6 August 2009
  3. ^ "Muniaín to the fore for brilliant Bilbao". ESPN Soccernet. 17 September 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
  4. ^ "Athletic Bilbao prodigy Iker Muniaín becomes Primera Division's youngest ever goalscorer". Goal.com. 5 October 2009. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  5. ^ "Valladolid and Bilbao share thriller". ESPN Soccernet. 4 October 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2009.
  6. ^ "Muniaín signs Athletic deal". FIFA.com. 1 December 2009. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  7. ^ "Last-gasp Athletic rattle Rojillos". ESPN Soccernet. 17 April 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  8. ^ "El Athletic recurrirá ante el CEDD la tarjeta de Muniaín y solicitará la suspensión cautelar de la sanción" (in Spanish). Europa Press. 20 April 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ "Athletic claim derby spoils". ESPN Soccernet. 23 April 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
  10. ^ "Muniain promete tatuarse la Copa de la Liga Europa si gana la final" (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ "Barca stunned by Muniain". ESPN FC. 1 December 2013. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
  12. ^ "Muniain aúpa al Athletic a octavos" (in Spanish). Marca. 19 December 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  13. ^ "Muniain estará siete meses de baja" (in Spanish). Marca. 7 April 2015. Retrieved 8 April 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ Celestiales (Heavenly); Marca, 29 February 2012
  15. ^ Official site statistics
  16. ^ "Muniain". Soccerway. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  17. ^ Includes other competitive competitions, including the Supercopa de España, UEFA Super Cup, FIFA Club World Cup.
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