Nir Bitton
Nir Bitton is an Israeli professional footballer who plays as either a defensive midfielder or central defender for Scottish Premiership club Celtic and the Israel national football team. Prior to his professional football career, he completed mandatory military service in the Israel Defense Forces.
Early life
Bitton was born in Ashdod, Israel, to a Sephardic Jewish family. He served as a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces.Club career
Bitton broke into the first team of his home-town club F.C. Ashdod at the age of 17, and went on to make over 100 appearances.Celtic
On 30 August 2013, Bitton signed a four-year deal with Scottish Premiership club Celtic, for a fee of around £700,000 and a 20% sell-on clause from Israeli Premier League club Ashdod.2013–14 season
He made his debut for the club on 18 September, in a Champions League group stage match against AC Milan, coming into the game as a late substitute in the 89th minute. Three weeks later he made another Champions League appearance for Celtic, coming as a 77th-minute substitute against Ajax on 22 October, but was sent off eleven minutes later for a late tackle on Thulani Serero. The resulting suspension and a few niggling injuries hindered Bitton's efforts to establish himself in the team, but he still managed to make a total of 20 appearances for Celtic by the end of his first season there. Celtic won their third successive league title, and Bitton's 15 league appearances saw him pick up his first major honour.2014–15 season
In the 2014-15 season, Bitton scored in Celtic's first league match of the season from the penalty spot after a controversial red card for St Johnstone defender Dave Mackay. Celtic winger Derk Boerrigter was later given a 3-match ban for simulation. Later in the season, Bitton scored a stunning 30-yard goal against Dundee. in a 5–0 win. He scored another long distance strike on 12 August 2015, netting from 25 yards into the top corner in a 2–2 draw with Kilmarnock.2015–16 season
To begin the 2015–16 season, on 19 August 2015, Bitton scored against Swedish side Malmö FF in a 3–2 win at Celtic Park in the first leg of the Champions League playoffs. On 2 November 2015, Bitton was reported to have signed a new contract which would keep him at Celtic until the summer of 2020....International career
In 2009, Bitton was selected to represent Israel at the 2009 Maccabiah Games, and the team won a bronze medal. He played in the only Israel U-21 team to qualify for the UEFA European U21 Championship in 2013.He made his senior debut for Israel in a friendly match against Uruguay on 26 May 2010. Bitton played a major role in qualifying games for the 2016 UEFA Euro Tournament. He scored his first goal for the national team against Andorra in a 4–0 victory On 3 September 2015.
Career statistics
Club
International goals
| No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1. | 3 September 2015 | Sammy Ofer Stadium, Haifa, Israel | 2–0 | 4–0 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualification | |
| 2. | 10 October 2015 | Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem, Israel | 1–1 | 1–2 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualification |