Iker Muniain

Iker Muniain

Muniain lining-up for Spain U21s
Personal information
Full name	Iker Muniain Goñi
Date of birth	(1992-12-19) 19 December 1992
Place of birth	Pamplona, Spain
Height	1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing position	Winger / Forward
Club information
Current club	Athletic Bilbao
Number	19
Youth career
	Chantrea
2005–2009	Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2009–2010	Bilbao Athletic	19	(3)
2009–	Athletic Bilbao	147	(15)
National team‡
2008	Spain U16	2	(1)
2008–2009	Spain U17	20	(2)
2010	Spain U19	5	(0)
2011	Spain U20	1	(0)
2011–	Spain U21	27	(7)
2012	Spain U23	3	(0)
2012–	Spain	1	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13 January 2014. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 18 November 2013

Iker Muniain Goñi (Basque: [iker muniaiŋ goɲi], Spanish: [ˈiker muˈnjaiŋ ˈgoɲi]; born 19 December 1992 in Pamplona, Navarre) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Athletic Bilbao in La Liga, 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.

Club career

A product of Basque giants Athletic Bilbao's youth ranks, Muniain 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 FK 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 UDC 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]

International career

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.^[13]

Honours

Club

• UEFA Europa League: Runner-up 2011–12
• Copa del Rey: Runner-up 2011–12

National team

Spain U21

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2011, 2013

Spain U19

• UEFA European Under-19 Championship: Runner-up 2010

Spain U17

• FIFA U-17 World Cup: Third place 2009

Individual

• La Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year: 2010–11

Statistics

Club

As of 13 January 2014^[14]

International

References

External links

• Athletic Bilbao profile
• BDFutbol profile
• National team data
• Iker Muniain at National-Football-Teams.com
• Iker Muniain – FIFA competition record
• Transfermarkt profile

v t e Spain men's football squad – 2012 Summer Olympics 1 De Gea 2 Azpilicueta 3 Domínguez 4 J. Martínez (c) 5 I. Martínez 6 Alba 7 Adrián 8 Muniain 9 Rodrigo 10 Mata 11 Koke 12 Montoya 13 Botía 14 Romeu 15 Isco 16 Tello 17 Herrera 18 Mariño Coach: Milla