Player Focus: Iker Muniain - The Youngest Veteran in European Football

Iker Muniain might well be the youngest veteran player in European football. Muniain has played over 200 senior games for Athletic Bilbao. At international level he has won three European Championship trophies, and has played for the senior Spanish side. 

He is now charged with leading his side in Wednesday's Champions League qualifier against Napoli to qualification for the group stages for the first time in 16 years. And he's still just 21.

Big expectations are nothing new for Muniain, who in August 2009 became the youngest ever player to appear for Los Leones, aged just 16 years, 7 months and 11 days. A few weeks later he also became the youngest goalscorer in both La Liga and Athletic’s history, and within months he had established himself as a first-choice pick.

Fans outside Spain really came to know the blonde youngster during Athletic's run to the Europa League final two years ago under Marcelo Bielsa. He led Manchester United’s midfield and defence a merry dance during Bilbao’s 3-2 win at Old Trafford, and also scored excellent goals against Slovan Bratislava and Lokomotiv Moscow.

Muniain's star continued to rise – and he made his full Spanish debut in a friendly against Venezuela in February 2012, looking completely at home alongside Xavi Hernandez, Andrés Iniesta and Spain’s other tiki-takkers. This all seemed just the natural progression as he had already picked up medals as the youngest player in the La Rojita winning squads at both the 2010 European U-19 tournament and 2011 European U-21 championship. 

But then came a bit of a dip. Injury hampered his contribution to Spain's embarrassing debacle at the London Olympics in 2012. At the European U-21 Championship twelve months ago he lost his starting place as the tournament progressed. In between there had been just one goal in 35 games for Athletic during the 2012/13 season, as the bubbly character suffered when Bielsa’s term in charge went flat. Muniain was, for some, already seen as old news – having been overtaken by newer starlets including Isco, Koke, Jesé Rodriguez and Gerard Deulofeu. 

The momentum appears to have shifted again now though. Current Athletic coach Ernesto Valverde carefully rebuilt Muniain's confidence through 2013/14 – and was repaid with nine goals in 39 games in all competitions. The summer brought a new long-term contract which ended speculation over his future, and also no international commitments meant a proper, well-needed rest for the first time in years.

And Muniain has begun the new campaign in stellar form. He was the outstanding player on the pitch during his side's more than creditable 1-1 draw in last Tuesday's Champions League play-off first leg at Napoli, earning the man of the match award with a 9.09 rating. 

The performance was even more impressive given that Muniain, like most of his teammates, took time to settle in what was the biggest fixture of their careers so far. But he gradually came to fore - and rifled in the game’s opening goal just before the break, converting an Oscar De Marcos cross from 16 yards having earlier started the move himself back in midfield. 

In the second half Muniain was outstanding – and he ended the game with by far his team’s best pass success rate (86%), along with the most touches of any Athletic player (71). Going forward he had 3 shots, played 2 key passes and completed 8 dribbles. His defensive numbers were also impressive, with his 8 tackles the most of any player in the game. Those dribbles and tackles were important throughout as he regularly won and kept possession to ease the pressure on his defence, particularly after Napoli finally came to life late on.

There was also maturity in Muniain's post-game comments, when he preferred not to talk about his own performance, instead preaching caution ahead of Wednesday's second leg at San Mames.

“The tie is at 50/50, we have the advantage of playing the return at home and we must take advantage of that,” he said. “I hope the goal today counts for a lot in the end.” 

With that game looming, it was perhaps unsurprising that Athletic looked distracted during Saturday's La Liga opening 1-0 loss at Malaga. Even still Muniain was again excellent and finished with an 8.42 overall rating -  the best of all the outfield players on show. There were 3 key passes and 2 shots, although a pass success at 76% was not so good and indicative of the general lethargy in his side's performance.

Most interesting perhaps was the fact that Valverde tried his best player in a more central role for the second half, after Beñat Extaberria was removed following another disappointing display. Beñat had been earmarked as the replacement for Ander Herrera as the team's playmaker at the front of midfield, but the former Betis player lacks the dynamism which is so useful in that position. 

Muniain's ability to get on the ball, skip past his marker and drive forward through the centre was immediately apparent. He completed a phenomenal 10 dribbles during the 90 minutes - over three times as many any other player in that match and the second most by any player in a Liga game in the last 4 seasons (behind Valdet Rama’s 11 for Valladolid against Levante last season). The danger these runs were causing meant he was fouled five times in total, again the most of anyone involved. The last of these fouls led to Malaga sub Duda shoving Iker to the ground and getting sent off. Had Gorka Iraizoz's injury-time header not been mysteriously disallowed the Athletic goalkeeper would have been the hero, but Munian's second half performance was the reason his side deserved a point from the game.

That central midfield experiment is likely to be parked for Wednesday's return against Napoli, especially considering the damage he did during the first leg. Muniain's ability to get on the ball, keep it, create chances and finish moves will surely be vital to whether his team can progress. 

A recall by Vicente Del Bosque to Spain's senior squad this Friday also seems likely given his superb start to the season. He is still just 21, but Iker Muniain now looks ready for a key role for both club and country.

How good do you think Muniain can become? Let us know in the comments below