1. Iker Muniain began his professional career with Athletic Bilbao, debuting aged 16 in 2009 as their youngest player in a competitive match.
19 Facts About Iker Muniain
1. 2.
Iker Muniain helped the team reach the final of the UEFA Europa League in 2012 and played in Copa del Rey finals in 2012,2020 and 2021, but finished on the losing side each time.
3.
Iker Muniain made 59 appearances for Spain at youth level, winning the European Under-21 Championship in 2011 and 2013.
4.
Iker Muniain featured at the 2012 Olympics, in the same year as his senior Spain debut.
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Iker Muniain was selected again in 2019, gaining a second international cap seven years after the first.
6.
Iker Muniain scored just once in 33 league appearances the following campaign, netting the only goal on 10 March 2013 in a home win over Valencia which eased doubts over a possible relegation battle.
7.
On 1 December 2013, Iker Muniain was again the sole name on the scoresheet at the new San Mames Stadium, to hand FC Barcelona their first league loss of that season.
8.
Iker Muniain successfully regained his first-team place in December 2015 and made 86 further appearances between then and 28 September 2017, when he suffered another serious ACL injury in the closing stages of a Europa League fixture at home to FC Zorya Luhansk, potentially ending his season.
9.
Iker Muniain signed a new deal with Athletic Bilbao in November 2018 to run until summer 2024, as his link was set to expire; unusually, it did not include any buyout clause.
10.
On 19 January 2020, Iker Muniain became the 18th player in Athletic's history to play 400 official games, against Celta.
11.
In early 2021, with the team playing a more attacking style under new coach Marcelino Garcia Toral, Iker Muniain recorded eight assists in three competitions between 17 January and 15 February, including two in the Spanish Supercup final as his team won the trophy.
12.
On 31 October 2021, Iker Muniain scored a late equaliser in the Basque derby via a free kick and was again conspicuous for his sportsmanship in consoling the opposing goalkeeper Alex Remiro, a former Athletic player whose error had contributed to the goal.
13.
Iker Muniain narrowly missed the target with a free kick, and then scored his penalty in the subsequent shootout; Berenguer converted the winning kick, and the team claimed the trophy for the first time in 40 years.
14.
Iker Muniain became the tenth Spaniard to play for the club, one of the most prominent being Angel Zubieta who represented Athletic Bilbao.
15.
On 8 February 2011, at the age of only 18, Iker Muniain made his debut with the Spain under-21 team in a match against Denmark, replacing Adrian Lopez.
16.
On 24 February 2012, Iker Muniain was called up to the senior side for the first time, for a friendly with Venezuela.
17.
Iker Muniain earned 31 caps for the under-21s, which was a national record for three years before being surpassed by Gerard Deulofeu.
18.
Iker Muniain has two older cousins who are footballers, were both Athletic youth players and were briefly his teammates at Bilbao Athletic.
19.
Iker Muniain is an admirer of Sergio Aguero, and named his pet Labrador Kun after the Argentina international; Muniain's own nickname, Bart Simpson, was given to him by Fernando Amorebieta due to his mischievous personality as well as his diminutive stature and fair hair.