Unai Núñez
Personal information
Full name Unai Núñez Gestoso
Date of birth (1997-01-30) 30 January 1997
Place of birth Sestao, Spain
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Celta
(on loan from Athletic Bilbao)
Number 4
Youth career
2007–2015 Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2016 Basconia 28 (1)
2016–2017 Bilbao Athletic 33 (3)
2017– Athletic Bilbao 99 (2)
2022– → Celta (loan) 41 (1)
International career‡
2017–2019 Spain U21 13 (0)
2019– Spain 1 (0)
2020– Basque Country 1 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18 September 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19:34, 17 November 2020 (UTC)

Unai Núñez Gestoso (Basque: [unai nuɲes̻]; Spanish: [ˈunaj ˈnuɲeθ]; born 30 January 1997) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Celta, on loan from Athletic Bilbao, the Spain national team and for the Basque national team (not FIFA-affiliated).

Club career

Born in Sestao, Biscay, Basque Country and raised in neighbouring Portugalete, Núñez joined Athletic Bilbao's Lezama academy in 2007, aged ten.[1] He made his debut as a senior with the farm team in the 2015–16 season, in Tercera División.

On 7 June 2016, Núñez was promoted to the reserves, freshly relegated to Segunda División B.[2] He immediately became a starter for the side, appearing in 33 matches and scoring three goals during the campaign.

On 2 June 2017, Núñez was called up to the main squad for the pre-season by new first team manager José Ángel Ziganda.[3] He made his first team – and La Liga – debut on 20 August, starting in a 0–0 home draw against Getafe CF.[4] On 30 October 2017, after already becoming a regular starter, Núñez renewed his contract until 2023, with a €30 million buyout clause.[5] The following 31 March he scored his first goal in the main category, netting the opener in a 1–1 home draw against RC Celta de Vigo.[6]

After making 36 appearances in 2017–18, Núñez played far less (14 matches) during the 2018–19 season, initially finding himself behind rookie Peru Nolaskoain as well as Iñigo Martínez and Yeray Álvarez in the queue for selection in the position.[1][7]

In November 2020 he signed an extended contract running to 2025, with no buyout clause.[8] During that period he played frequently due to injuries suffered by teammates and when a system with three central defenders was used, but he again found himself to the bench when all were fit and the preferred formation reverted to a central pair; there was even more competition for a place after Daniel Vivian also joined the squad.[9]

On 16 July 2022, Núñez was loaned to fellow top tier side Celta de Vigo for the season.[10] He featured regularly and impressively for Celta, who took up the option to extend the deal for a second season.[11]

International career

On 25 August 2017, Núñez received his first call-up to the Spain under-21 squad.[12] He was called up to the full side by manager Robert Moreno on 30 August 2019, for two UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying matches against Romania and the Faroe Islands.[13] He made his debut in the second fixture in Gijon on 8 September, coming on as a late substitute for Sergio Ramos with Spain 2–0 ahead; the final result was 4–0.[14] Good club form for Celta Vigo took him back into consideration for selection in March 2023[11] (this was shortly before to Robin Le Normand obtained Spanish nationality and became established in the national side).

He has also played for the unofficial Basque Country team, making his debut against Costa Rica in November 2020 and scoring the winning goal with a header in the closing minutes.[15]

Personal life

Núñez's father Abel was also a footballer and a defender who mainly represented Barakaldo CF during his career,[16][17] having migrated from Galicia to the Basque region when young.[7] His elder brother Asier played in the same position for local Club Portugalete and JD Somorrostro.[18][19]

Career statistics

Club

As of 4 June 2023[20][21]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Basconia 2015–16 Tercera División 281–––281
Bilbao Athletic 2016–17 Segunda División B 333–––333
Athletic Bilbao 2017–18 La Liga 331003[lower-alpha 1]0–361
2018–19 12020––140
2019–20 20060––260
2020–21 25141–2[lower-alpha 2]0312
2021–22 9000–0[lower-alpha 3]090
Total 99212130201163
Celta (loan) 2022–23 La Liga 36030––390
Career total 196615130202167
  1. ↑ Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
  2. ↑ Appearance(s) in Supercopa de España
  3. ↑ Appearance(s) in Supercopa de España

Honours

Athletic Bilbao

Spain U21

References

  1. 1 2 "Unai Núñez: "Demostré que estoy a la altura de Iñigo y Yeray"" [Unai Núñez: "I showed that I'm at the high level of Iñigo and Yeray"] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 15 March 2019. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  2. ↑ "Simón, Núñez, Andoni López, Urzelai y Guruzeta ascenderán al Bilbao Athletic" [Simón, Núñez, Andoni López, Urzelai and Guruzeta will ascend to Bilbao Athletic] (in Spanish). La Cantera de Lezama. 7 June 2016. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  3. ↑ "Preseason with the premier team". Athletic Bilbao. 2 June 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  4. ↑ "Premio a la resistencia del Geta" [Prize for Geta's resistance] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 20 August 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  5. ↑ "Renovación de Unai Núñez" [Renewal of Unai Núñez] (in Spanish). Athletic Club. 30 October 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  6. ↑ "Celta Vigo snatch a draw in Bilbao in stoppage time". Marca. 31 March 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  7. 1 2 "Unai Núñez, central por herencia familiar" [Unai Núñez, central defender due to family inheritance] (in Spanish). El Mundo. 30 August 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  8. ↑ Nuñez renews contract until 2025, Athletic Club website, 17 November 2020
  9. ↑ "La visión de Andoni Goikoetxea del reverso Vivian-Unai Núñez" [Andoni Goikoetxea's vision of the reverse Vivian-Unai Núñez] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 14 September 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "Loan deal agreed with RC Celta for Unai Nuñez". Athletic Bilbao. 16 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  11. 1 2 "Unai Núñez llama a la puerta de la selección" [Unai Núñez knocks on the door of the national team] (in Spanish). Marca. 3 March 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  12. ↑ "¿Sabes quiénes son los debutantes de la Selección Sub-21?" [Do you know who the debutants of the U21 Team are?] (in Spanish). SEfutbol.com. 25 August 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.
  13. ↑ "OFFICIAL Call for qualifying matches against Romania and Faroe Islands". Royal Spanish Football Federation. 30 August 2019.
  14. ↑ "Spain 4–0 Faroe Islands". Sky Sports. 8 September 2019.
  15. ↑ Euskadi gana a Costa Rica en el descuento [Basques beat Costa Rica in stoppage time], Marca (in Spanish), 16 November 2020
  16. ↑ "Núñez: "Pediré a los compañeros que me firmen la camiseta y la enmarcaré"" [Núñez: "I will ask my teammates to sign my shirt and I will frame it"] (in Spanish). Marca. 20 August 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  17. ↑ "Abel Núñez profile". BDfutbol. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  18. ↑ "El gen Unai Núñez" [The Unai Núñez gene] (in Spanish). Deia. 23 June 2017. Retrieved 20 August 2017.
  19. ↑ "Asier Núñez profile". La Preferente (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  20. ↑ Unai Núñez at Athletic Bilbao
  21. ↑ "Unai Núñez". Soccerway. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  22. ↑ "Acta del Partido celebrado el 17 de enero de 2021, en Sevilla" [Minutes of the Match held on 17 January 2021, in Seville] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  23. ↑ Lowe, Sid (3 April 2021). "Real Sociedad beat Athletic to claim Copa del Rey and Basque glory". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  24. ↑ Lowe, Sid (17 April 2021). "Messi stars as Barcelona thrash Athletic Bilbao to lift Copa del Rey". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  25. ↑ "Spain U21 2–1 Germany U21". 30 June 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
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