Nir Bitton facts for kids
Bitton playing for Celtic in 2017
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 30 October 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Ashdod, Israel | ||
| Height | 1.95 m | ||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder, centre back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Maccabi Tel Aviv | ||
| Number | 55 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1997–2009 | F.C. Ashdod | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2009–2013 | F.C. Ashdod | 123 | (14) |
| 2013–2022 | Celtic | 158 | (9) |
| 2022–2025 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 31 | (1) |
| 2025– | F.C. Ashdod | 0 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2008 | Israel U17 | 5 | (0) |
| 2009 | Israel U18 | 2 | (0) |
| 2009 | Israel U19 | 15 | (0) |
| 2010–2013 | Israel U21 | 22 | (2) |
| 2010– | Israel | 39 | (3) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Nir Bitton (born 30 October 1991) is a professional footballer from Israel. He plays as a centre-back (a defender) or as a defensive midfielder (a player who protects the defense). He currently plays for Israeli Premier League club F.C. Ashdod and the Israel national team.
Contents
About Nir Bitton
Early Life and Family
Nir Bitton was born and grew up in Ashdod, Israel. His family has both Sephardi Jewish and Mizrahi Jewish roots. Like many young people in Israel, he served as a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces.
In 2014, he married his girlfriend, Bar Shimon. They have two children, a daughter named Emma and a son named Tom.
Playing for Clubs
Starting at Ashdod
Nir Bitton began his professional football career at a young age. He joined the senior team of his hometown club, SC Ashdod, when he was just 17 years old. His first game in the Israeli Premier League was on 25 April 2009. He played over 120 matches for the club before moving on.
Time at Celtic
On 30 August 2013, Nir Bitton moved to Scotland. He signed a four-year contract with Scottish Premiership club Celtic. Celtic paid about £700,000 to SC Ashdod for him.
He played his first game for Celtic on 18 September in a Champions League match against AC Milan. He came on as a substitute very late in the game. A few weeks later, he played another Champions League game against Ajax. However, he was sent off (given a red card) for a late tackle. This suspension and some small injuries made it hard for him to settle in at first. Still, he played 20 games in his first season. Celtic won the league title that year, and Nir Bitton earned his first major award.
In the 2014–15 season, Bitton scored his first league goal for Celtic from a penalty kick. Later that season, he scored an amazing goal from 30 yards away in a 5–0 win against Dundee. He scored another long-distance goal in August 2015 against Kilmarnock.
In August 2015, he scored against Swedish team Malmö FF in a Champions League playoff game. In November 2015, he signed a new contract to stay at Celtic until 2020. He extended his contract again in December 2019 until 2023.
On 13 May 2022, Celtic announced that Nir Bitton would be leaving the club. He played his 245th and final game for Celtic as a substitute. He helped lift the Scottish Premiership trophy with his captain, Callum McGregor, in his last match. Bitton said he never thought he would be part of such exciting times at Celtic. He thanked his managers and teammates for their shared achievements.
Moving to Maccabi Tel Aviv
On 1 July 2022, Nir Bitton returned to Israel. He joined Israeli Premier League club Maccabi Tel Aviv for free. He signed a two-year contract with an option for a third year. This move meant he was back in Israel after playing in Scotland for nine years.
Playing for Israel
In 2009, Nir Bitton played for Israel at the 2009 Maccabiah Games, where his team won a bronze medal. He also played for the Israel U-21 team. This team was the only Israeli U-21 team to qualify for the UEFA European U21 Championship in 2013.
He made his first appearance for the senior Israel in a friendly game against Uruguay on 26 May 2010. Bitton played an important part in the qualifying games for the 2016 UEFA Euro Tournament. He scored his first goal for the national team on 3 September 2015, in a 4–0 win against Andorra.
Since 2016, Bitton has often been a second or third captain for the senior Israel national team. He first captained the team in a 3–2 home win against Faroe Islands on 15 November 2021. This was during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
International Goals
Nir Bitton has scored three goals for the Israel national team:
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 September 2015 | Sammy Ofer Stadium, Haifa, Israel |  Andorra |
2–0 | 4–0 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualification |
| 2 | 10 October 2015 | Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem, Israel |  Cyprus |
1–1 | 1–2 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualification |
| 3 | 12 November 2021 | Wörthersee Stadion, Klagenfurt, Austria |  Austria |
1–0 | 2–4 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
His Achievements
Celtic
- Scottish Premiership (8 times): 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22
- Scottish Cup (4 times): 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20
- Scottish League Cup (6 times): 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22
See also
In Spanish: Nir Biton para niños
- List of Jewish footballers
- List of Jews in sports
- List of Israelis
- Liel Abada
