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 (6 ft 5 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder, centre back | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
F.C. Ashdod | ||
| Number | 5 | ||
| 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 | 16 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 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) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 June 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 March 2022 |
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Nir Bitton (born October 30, 1991) is a professional football player from Israel. He plays as a defender or a midfielder for F.C. Ashdod, a club in the Israeli Premier League. He also plays for the Israel national team.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Nir Bitton was born and grew up in Ashdod, Israel. His family has a background from both Sephardi Jewish and Mizrahi Jewish communities. He also served as a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces.
In 2014, Nir married his girlfriend, Bar Shimon. They have two children named Emma and Tom.
Club Career Highlights
Starting at SC Ashdod
Nir Bitton began his professional football career at the age of 17. He joined the senior team of his hometown club, SC Ashdod, in April 2009. He played more than 120 games for the club before moving on.
Time with Celtic
In August 2013, Bitton joined Celtic, a big club in Scotland. He signed a four-year contract.
He played his first game for Celtic in September 2013. It was a Champions League match against AC Milan. A few weeks later, he played another Champions League game. He was sent off (given a red card) for a late tackle. This suspension and some small injuries made it hard for him to get a regular spot. However, he still played 20 games in his first season. Celtic won the league title that year.
During the 2014–15 season, Bitton scored his first league goal for Celtic. He also scored a fantastic goal from 30 yards away against Dundee. In August 2015, he scored another long-distance goal from 25 yards.
In August 2015, Bitton scored against Malmö FF in a Champions League playoff game. In November 2015, he signed a new contract to stay with Celtic until 2020. He extended his contract again in December 2019 until 2023.
On May 13, 2022, Celtic announced that Bitton would be leaving the club. He played his final game for Celtic, which was his 245th appearance. Celtic won the game 6–0. Nir Bitton and his teammate Tom Rogic brought out the Scottish Premiership trophy together. Nir sometimes even got to be the captain for Celtic.
Playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv
In July 2022, Bitton moved back to Israel. He joined Maccabi Tel Aviv on a free transfer. He signed a two-year contract with an option for a third year. This marked his return to Israeli football after nine years in Scotland.
International Career
In 2009, Nir Bitton played for Israel in the 2009 Maccabiah Games. His team won a bronze medal. He also played for the Israel U-21 team. They qualified for the UEFA European U21 Championship in 2013.
He made his first appearance for the senior Israel national team in May 2010. This was a friendly match against Uruguay. Bitton played an important role in the qualifying games for the 2016 UEFA Euro Tournament. He scored his first goal for the national team in September 2015 against Andorra. Since March 2016, Bitton has often been a second or third captain for the Israel national team. He was the main captain for the first time in a game against Faroe Islands in November 2021.
Career Achievements
Club Statistics
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| SC Ashdod | 2008–09 | Israeli Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2009–10 | Israeli Premier League | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | |
| 2010–11 | Israeli Premier League | 34 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 5 | |
| 2011–12 | Israeli Premier League | 36 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 4 | |
| 2012–13 | Israeli Premier League | 31 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 4 | |
| 2013–14 | Israeli Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 123 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 124 | 14 | ||
| Celtic | 2013–14 | Scottish Premiership | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| 2014–15 | Scottish Premiership | 31 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 43 | 2 | |
| 2015–16 | Scottish Premiership | 30 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 46 | 8 | |
| 2016–17 | Scottish Premiership | 26 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 39 | 2 | |
| 2017–18 | Scottish Premiership | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 23 | 0 | |
| 2018–19 | Scottish Premiership | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2019–20 | Scottish Premiership | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 31 | 0 | |
| 2020–21 | Scottish Premiership | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 21 | 1 | |
| 2021–22 | Scottish Premiership | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 0 | |
| Total | 158 | 9 | 19 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 55 | 4 | 245 | 13 | ||
| Maccabi Tel Aviv | 2022–23 | Israeli Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Career total | 282 | 23 | 19 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 56 | 4 | 371 | 27 | ||
International Goals
- Scores and results list Israel's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bitton goal.
| 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 |
Honours and Trophies
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
More About Footballers
- List of Jewish footballers
- List of Jews in sports
- List of Israelis
- Liel Abada
See also
In Spanish: Nir Biton para niños
