Despite being just 24 years old, Unai Simón exudes the confidence of a goalkeeper who has been at the top of his game for many years. At times, it is hard to remember that Simón only made his Athletic Club debut three years ago.

Born in Vitoria, Alava, natural born shot-stopper Simón arrived at Lezama in 2011-12 when he was 14 years old and proceeded to make his way through the ranks at Athletic.

Apart from being a strong physical presence between the sticks and making acrobatic saves, Simón is also perfectly capable of playing out from the back as he possesses fantastic ability with the ball at his feet.

His rise to the first team was unorthodox. Due to difficult circumstances, Simón had to cut short a loan spell with Elche cf and return home. He made his LaLiga debut under then coach Eduardo Berrizo against CD Leganés in the opening fixture of the 2018-19 campaign.

In 2019-20, he was one of Athletic Club’s standout performers. A string of quality performances and important saves propelled him into the spotlight. He also came third in that season’s Zamora Trophy, behind Thibaut Courtois and Jan Oblak.

His form was rewarded twicefold: On August 20, 2020 he signed a five-year-contract extension with Athletic and received his first call-up to the Spanish national team.

In Euro 2020, he was a mainstay in the Spanish senior side, playing in every game as they reached the semi-finals.

In 2020-21, he was decisive in helping Athletic reach the Copa del Rey semi-finals, saving two penalties in the shootout.

Since his first appearance, Simón has played 92 matches, conceding 100 goals.