Jozo Šimunović facts for kids
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Šimunović playing for Celtic in 2018
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jozo Šimunović | ||
| Date of birth | 4 August 1994 | ||
| Place of birth | Zagreb, Croatia | ||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Hrvatski Dragovoljac | |||
| 2006–2013 | Dinamo Zagreb | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013–2015 | Dinamo Zagreb | 52 | (3) |
| 2015–2020 | Celtic | 75 | (5) |
| 2021–2022 | Gorica | 8 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2008 | Croatia U14 | 2 | (0) |
| 2009 | Croatia U15 | 2 | (1) |
| 2010 | Croatia U16 | 3 | (0) |
| 2009–2011 | Croatia U17 | 20 | (1) |
| 2012 | Croatia U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 2011–2013 | Croatia U19 | 10 | (0) |
| 2013 | Croatia U20 | 5 | (0) |
| 2013–2015 | Croatia U21 | 9 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 7 July 2022 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 7 September 2015 |
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Jozo Šimunović (born on August 4, 1994) is a Croatian professional footballer. He played as a centre back for clubs like Dinamo Zagreb, Celtic, and Gorica.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out in Football
Jozo Šimunović began playing football when he was 7 years old. He started in his village, Gornja Lomnica. When he was 12, he joined Dinamo Zagreb. Before that, he played for Hrvatski Dragovoljac.
Playing for Dinamo Zagreb
Šimunović made his first team debut for Dinamo Zagreb on March 16, 2013. He came into the game as a substitute. On March 30, 2013, he scored his first goal for Dinamo. He also played a full game in the 2015 Croatian Cup Final, which Dinamo won after a penalty shootout.
Time with Celtic F.C.
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On September 1, 2015, Šimunović moved to Scottish Premiership team Celtic. He played his first game for Celtic on September 17 in a Europa League match. Soon after, he had an ankle injury.
In January 2016, Šimunović scored his first goal for Celtic. However, he then injured his knee and was out for the rest of that season. He spent time recovering from his injury. In August 2016, there was talk of him moving to another club, Torino, but the transfer did not happen. Šimunović later said he was healthy and focused on playing for Celtic. He returned to action in September 2016.
Šimunović became an important player for Celtic. He helped the team keep many clean sheets (games without letting opponents score). He also played in the 2016 Scottish League Cup Final in November, which Celtic won. In March 2017, he scored a goal that helped Celtic get closer to winning their league title. In September 2017, he signed a new contract with Celtic.
A special moment happened in April 2019. After Celtic legend Billy McNeill passed away, Šimunović scored a winning goal in the 67th minute. This was special because McNeill wore the number 5 shirt and was known for his 1967 European Cup win. Šimunović, who also wore number 5, gave his shirt to McNeill's family after the game.
In September 2019, Šimunović suffered another knee injury. In May 2020, Celtic announced that he would leave the club when his contract ended.
Playing for HNK Gorica
On October 20, 2021, HNK Gorica announced that Šimunović had joined their team. He played for them until April 2023.
International Football
Representing Croatia
Jozo Šimunović played for Croatia at many youth levels. He was even captain for the under-17, under-19, and under-21 teams.
In September 2015, he was called up to play for the senior Croatian national team. However, he got injured a few days later and could not play in those matches.
Choosing a National Team
In July 2017, Šimunović considered playing for Bosnia and Herzegovina. His family comes from that country. He was called up by their coach a month later for World Cup qualifying games. However, he did not play. In March 2018, he decided he did not want to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina. He later explained that he loved Croatia too much and wanted to represent his home country.
Life After Football
In April 2023, after leaving HNK Gorica, Šimunović shared that he was studying sports management at a university in Croatia. He was also working on getting his coaching badges. This means he was preparing for a career in football after his playing days.
Honours and Trophies
Dinamo Zagreb
- Prva HNL (3): 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15
- Croatian Cup (1): 2014–15
- Croatian Super Cup (1): 2013
Celtic
- Scottish Premiership (5): 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20
- Scottish Cup (3): 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
- Scottish League Cup (3): 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
See also
In Spanish: Jozo Šimunović para niños
