The Goalkeeper is the son of Vitoria-Gasteiz, who, together with her husband, works in Spain’s state security force. Unai Simon was raised in a peace-loving home, in a family that earned so much respect in their community because of their kindness. One of his early memories as a kid was following his grandma to fetch water (from a tanker on duty) to be used by his household. Surprisingly, Unai never intended to become a goalkeeper, as all he wanted was to dribble and score tons of goals. This article delves deep into the Spanishish Goalkeeper’s history, from its inception.
To whet your autobiography appetite on how engaging Unai Simon’s Bio would be, we present to you his early life to fame gallery. No doubt, this great Spanish goalkeeper has come a long way.
The Biography Summary of Unai Simon. Behold his Life and Rise Story.
Yes, we all know that he is one of the most gifted Spanish goalkeepers in the La Liga as of 2021.
However, only a few soccer lovers have read about Bio, which is quite interesting. Without further ado, let’s begin.
Unai Simon Childhood Story:
For Biography starters, he bears the nickname “The Untouchable”. Unai Simon Mendibil was born on the 11th day of June 1997 to his father and mother in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Alava, Basque Country, Spain.
He is probably the only child born of the union between his parents. From his childhood days, Simon was more inclined to sporting activities than anything else.
The identity of his father and mother is yet to be revealed as I compile this Biography.
Interestingly, other kids within his age group shared the same dream as him. They all loved football and spent long hours playing against each other.
Of course, Simon and his friends had access to many balls, which made it easier for them to play at any time of the day.
Growing Up Days:
The Spanish goalkeeper spent summer vacations in Zamora with his grandparents. During his stay in the town, Simon followed other kids in the hot afternoons to the fronton, where they played football together.
Sadly, where he grew up, he faced the problem of lacking drinking water. Hence, the young champ often helped his grandparents to fill their jugs whenever the tankers on duty supplied water to the town.
A throwback picture of the youngster helping his grandma to fetch water.
He grew up as a humble kid who respected his elders and never wanted to see his grandma stressed out.
Unai Simon Family Background:
One attribute that has helped the footballer excel in his career is discipline. Thankfully, he comes from a family that is conscientious and respectful. Hence, Simon grew up learning about good morals from his parents.
Despite working in the state’s security force, his mother and father never took advantage of anyone in their town. They were a peace-loving family that earned the community’s respect because of their kindness.
Unai Simon Family Origin:
Although he was born in Vitoria, the athlete is a native of San Marcial del Vino, in Zamora. Actually, the village of San Marcial is the cradle of his paternal family. He is a Spanish national with the Spanish-White Ethnicity.
The map of Spain shows Simon’s Place of Origin.
When Simon’s father was still young, he left his hometown, searching for a greener pasture in Basque Country. There he met his wife and settled down, giving birth to the shot-stopper miles away from his place of Origin.
Unai Simon Education:
Growing up with his parents, the upcoming athlete was enrolled in a school that is left unmentioned in his Biography. He was good at his studies and listened to the instructions of his teacher.
Back then, Simon had high hopes of graduating with a good result. He wanted to be amongst the best in his school, as it would give him better opportunities to secure admission to a reputable college.
Unai Simon Biography – Football Story:
From the start, the Spaniard never intended to become a goalkeeper. He wanted to dribble and score goals like his friends.
However, everyone considered him to be too lazy or bigger than the other kids. Hence, they asked him to stay at the goalpost.
Two kids playing on the field where he first played football.
If he must play with his peers, he had no option other than to become one of their goalkeepers.
Although Simon hated the idea, he humbly moved into the post for peace to reign. Little did he know that his decision was paving a life-changing opportunity for him.
Unai Simon Early Career Life:
At 13, the Spaniard had become passionate about his role at the goalpost. He frequently went to the field after school to improve his skills.
To avoid wasted efforts, Simon’s parents enrolled him at the local youth academy of Aurrera Vitoria in 2010. There, he continued to nurture his prowess as a goalkeeper with high hopes of becoming a professional.
Getting to play in a more competitive setting made him feel like his dream was coming to fruition.
He spent only one year in his first club before joining Athletic Bilbao’s youth system in 2011.
It took the Spaniard 3 years of hard work before his consistency and hard work got him promoted to the senior team of Basconia, where he played in the Tercera (4th) Division.
A rare photo of his earliest days in Bilbao.
Road To Fame Story:
The ball stopper gradually gained relevance to his country’s youth team. Meanwhile, he joined Athletic Bilbao in 2016 and started featuring for their team B.
While idolising Gianluigi Buffon, Simon worked so hard to be better than his idol.
In under two years, he secured a spot in Bilboa’s starting lineup after their primary goalkeeper suffered an injury. His remarkable performance, which included numerous crucial saves against Real Madrid in his third appearance, earned him the admiration of his manager and fellow teammates.
The subsequent days of his career saw him maintaining his strong form and keeping many clean sheets in the 2019-20 season. Sadly, he ended that unforgettable season a match earlier after receiving an unwanted red card in a game against CD Leganes.
What a sad moment as he was sent off the pitch as his team lost the match.
Unai Simon Biography – Success Story:
Fascinatingly, the gifted athlete and his whole family rejoiced when he earned his first call-up for Spain in August 2020. That same month, he inked a 5-year deal with Bilboa, which notably lacked a buyout clause.
According to the goalkeeper, he wanted to end his career at the Spanish club. In a top team that boasts of the likes of Inaki and Nico Williams. Let’s not forget Oihan Sancet.
After breaking into the international squad of Spain, Simon put on an excellent performance for his national team. He joins the likes of Diogo Costa and Mike Maignan who have great goalkeeping prospects.
His performance at the international level has been phenomenal.
Unai Simon’s Impact In Euro 2020:
During the Euro 2020, he caused an own goal in a match against Croatia after failing to control a back pass from Pedri.
However, he quickly reorganised himself and went from zero to hero as he led Spain to a 5-3 win at the end of the match.
Simon managed to make two crucial saves during the penalty shootout in the quarter-final against Switzerland, as shown in the video below.
His efforts led Spain to the semi-finals against Italy. Yet again, the match ended in a penalty shootout.
Although Simon saved Manuel Locatelli’s penalty kick, Spain was knocked out of the competition in the end.
Nonetheless, he was awarded one Star of the Match during the tournament. The rest, as they say, is history.
Indeed, his performance deserves the Man of the Match award. See how overjoyed he is after receiving such accolades.
Who is Unai Simon’s Girlfriend?
As a successful athlete, the goalie deserves a gorgeous WAG. Of course, his cute look is reason enough for beautiful ladies to do anything just to be his girlfriend or wife.
Is Unai Simon in a relationship?
Considering the fact that Simon has been silent about his love life, he is probably single at the time of writing this Biography.
Perhaps as he gets to spend more time with Marco Asensio, he may end up learning about how to nurture a successful relationship.
Personal Life:
What makes the revered goalie thick?… To begin with, he isn’t like many players who enjoy maintaining a social life. Simon hasn’t posted any pictures on his Instagram page, which has less than 2000 followers.
His social media lifestyle is directly opposite to that of Sergio Ramos. Despite being an excellent goalkeeper in the La Liga and Spanish national teams, Simon still portrays a humble personality.
It is difficult for him to forget the days of his little beginning. However, his gentility is only seen off the pitch. You don’t get to mess with his aggressive sport-like nature during matches because he is quite passionate about his job.
The gentle sportsman is quite passionate about what he does on the pitch. Game days are definitely not the time for him to keep his cool.
Unai Simon Lifestyle:
The shot-stopper earns a huge sum of money that can afford him a luxurious life. However, he is too secretive about how he spends his money or what he does outside the pitch.
On this note, there has been no information about his cars or house while writing this Biography.
However, we are certain that Spanish Goalkeeper specialist, Simon, would have purchased a beautiful mansion where he could rest his head after his daily commitment.
Unai Simon Family:
One of the most peculiar characteristics of his household is their ability to captivate the hearts of their neighbours. Simon owes his parents and entire family gratitude for raising him, since his infancy as a loving and kindhearted kid.
Below are some interesting facts about his father, mother, siblings and relatives you probably didn’t know.
About Unai Simon’s Father:
Since his rise to fame, the footballer is yet to mention his dad’s name to the public. His father joined the state security forces years back and has been a huge support to his career. Yes, Simon idolises his dad for teaching him how to live a principled life.
About Unai Simon’s Mother:
Right from his childhood days, the Spanish icon enjoyed spending time in the company of his mom. He often confided in her some of his worries and shared with her the joy of his success.
As earlier mentioned, Simon’s mother also served in the same security force as his father. She was a strong woman who still fulfilled her motherly duties to her children despite the tedious nature of her work.
About Unai Simon’s Siblings:
One advantage of having a brother or a sister is that you probably won’t experience loneliness or boredom. Sadly, Simon doesn’t seem to have any siblings. However, he has made a good number of friends who treat him like a brother.
About Unai Simon’s Relatives:
The athlete was like Rodrigo De Paul, who spent many years in the company of his grandparents. He loved every moment he got to stay with them during summer breaks.
As a responsible kid, Simon usually followed his grandma to fetch water to be used by his household whenever the tankers on duty supplied water to them. As I write this Biography, there is no information about his uncles, aunts or other relatives.
He never hesitates to help his grandmother.
Untold Facts:
To wrap up the Life Story of the goalie, here are a few truths that would help you understand his Biography.
Net Worth And Salary Breakdown
Based on his contract, which is set to end in 2023 with Athletic Bilbao, Unai Simon receives an annual Salary of €1.14 million. After analysing his earnings, we have estimated his Net Worth (2024 stats) to be a whopping sum of approximately €8.5 million.
Judging by Simon’s Salary, an average Spanish citizen will have to work for one year to earn what he receives in a week. We’ve carefully computed his earnings as the clock ticks. See how much he has made since you came here.
Unai Simon Religion:
The player does not joke about matters of his faith. He was born into a Christian home that isn’t ashamed of his belief in Jesus Christ.
As a Christian, Simon ensures to uphold the code of conduct of his faith. Thanks to his religious beliefs, he has grown up with a great sense of morality.
Unai Simon Tattoos:
The Spanish shot-stopper has no interest in body art. Perhaps his religious standpoint is one of the few reasons why he shuns tattoos. Unlike his compatriot, Alvaro Morata, Simon has inked no tattoo on his body at the time of writing this Biography.
FIFA Stats:
Unai Simon has great potential that fits him into the list of Spain’s elite players. Even when his rating was lesser than that of Gianluigi Donnarumma, he became the preferred goalkeeper in the armoury of Luis Enrique in most 2021 competitions.
Certainly, he, at the time of writing, is yet to reach the peak of his potential. However, he, like Djordje Petrovic and Jordan Pickford has constantly impressed his fans, even at his current level of soccer prowess. Below is a picture of his 2021 FIFA Stats.
The FIFA Stats of Unai Simon. GK Diving, Positioning and Reflexes are his most valuable assets.
Conclusion:
Unai’s life story teaches us that our career journey can take unexpected turns. When circumstances pushed him into a role he didn’t initially want, he seized the opportunity to develop himself.
Through his dedication and hard work, Unai earned the trust of Luis Enrique and the people of Spain, who relied on him to lead them to the semi-finals of Euro 2020. True to form, he delivered, earning widespread praise across the nation ever since.
It behoves us to appreciate his father and mother for spending a large part of their money in enrolling Simon in a sports academy.
Indeed, they will be proud of the fact that he never wasted the opportunities he had to succeed in his endeavours.
