Nacho Monreal Biography

Nacho Monreal nationality

is Spanish. Spain is popular for its world-class footballers, and its youth system often is a place for the improvement of stars like Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi Hernandez and, etc. Monreal is a product of Osasuna. He grew well at the club and established himself as a skilled footballer.

Hector Bellerin the young Spanish footballer praised him and stated about him: “Nacho Monreal, another full-back, Spanish as well, top player, and he's a player I am close to. He's one of the players who has helped me the most.” In this article we will walk you through the footballer’s road to fame join us and find out all the details about Nacho Monreal biography.

Details About Nacho Monreal Biography You Probably Didn’t Know 

Nacho Monreal is one of the most underrated footballers. During his time at Arsenal and after a massive FA Cup match, Mikel Arteta heaped praise on the Spanish footballer and stated: “He took his goal very well and I think he’s been one of our most consistent players this season.  You know what you are going to get when he’s playing – he’s very focused, very determined in every action.”

Nacho Monreal Information   

Before we get into the details of

Nacho Monreal childhood

and early life we will fill you in with the details of his bio and other information. 

Nacho Monreal Bio

• Full name: Ignacio Nacho Monrea

Personal information

• Nacho Monreal date of birth: 26 February 1986

• Zodiac sign: Pisces

• Place of birth: Pamplona, Spain

• Nacho Monreal religion: Christian

• Nacho Monreal Nationality: Spanish

• Marital status: married

• Marriage date: June 16, 2016

• Wife’s name: Isabel Ramos

Body Measurements

• Hair color: Brown

• Eye color: Brown

• Height: 179cm

• Weight: 72 kg

Football Information

• Position: Defender

• Debut in profession: 22 October 2006 (CA Osasuna)   

• Clubs served: Osasuna B, Osasuna, Malaga, Arsenal, Real Sociedad                      

Nacho Monreal Early Life

The footballer was born on 26 February 1986, in Pamplona, Spain to Spanish parents. According to

Nacho Monreal date of birth

his zodiac sign is Pisces. As a child Nacho was very passionate about football and he almost played the game 24/7 along with his childhood friends. He dreamed of one day becoming a professional footballer. He trained at Pamplona, his childhood club for a brief time and fully dedicated himself to the game while improving his performance. There is not much information about the footballer’s family and he tries to keep his personal life private as possible.

Nacho Monreal Profile

Over the years Nacho came a long way, and he was determined to be the best in football. As a result, he set foot in the road to fame. According to

Nacho Monreal bio

, he featured as a defender on the field. Find out all the details about the Spanish footballer’s career at different clubs in the following.

Monreal The First-Choice Defender at Osasuna Youth System

Following his training with his home town club Pamplona, Monreal went on and joined Osasuna Youth System. On 22 October 2006, he made his debut for the side in a game over Valencia CF which was a 0-1 defeat for the club. He grew well with Osasuna youth team and quickly found his place. Later the footballer made his way through ranks and got promoted to the reserve team in 2005. Monreal managed to finish his first season featuring in 10 league games.

Following Navarrese's relegation to the UEFA Cup, Monreal played in four games and in the same time Osasuna made it through the four games however they were eliminated by fellow league side Sevilla FC. The footballer showed such a remarkable performance and he was the first-choice player in 2007-08. He kept his position as the first-choice defender along with another youth product, Cesar Azpilicueta.

Malaga

On 10 June 2011, Monreal reached agreement with Malaga and signed a five-year contract with the side for the estimated amount of €6 million. During his first season at the club, the footballer had a rivalry with teammate Eliseu, however the battle ended while he missed seven matches and the club finished in the fourth place, qualifying for the Champions League for the first time. On 27 January 2013, Monreal managed to score his only goal for the side in a 3-2 away victory against RCD Mallorca.

Arsenal

On 31 January 2013, the footballer reached an agreement with the

club, Arsenal. Monreal recalled the time he first joined Arsenal in an interview: “I woke up one morning to a call from Santi [Cazorla] asking me if I wanted to join. Imagine it: I was in shock, only just awake, not really with it. And by that night, I was an Arsenal player. I reckon the club said: ‘Santi, speak to Nacho: see what he thinks.”

He signed a long-term contract with the side for an unknown fee. Sky Sports declared that it was the estimated amount of £8.5 million. Upon his arrival, then manager

stated: “We are delighted that Nacho Monreal has agreed to join us. We have been monitoring him for some time now and are really pleased that we've been able to agree this move. Monreal is a strong left-sided defender with good experience at both club and international level.”

Monreal First Goal for Arsenal

The football manager added: “He is a technically gifted player, a good crosser in the final third and strong in the air. Monreal will add quality to our squad and, of course, to our defensive unit. We all look forward to him playing for us.” Monreal was handed the number 17 shirt and he went on and debuted for the side in a 1-0 home victory over Stoke City. On 23 February 2013, the Spanish defender made an assist for Santi Cazorla to aim the net for the winning goal in a 2-1 win against Aston Villa.

The footballer managed to score his first goal for the side on 16 Mach which was the opening goal in a 2-0 victory at Fenerbahçe SK in the Champions’ League group stage play-off. The defender featured in the last three minutes of the game while substituting Theo Walcott. On 26 September, the footballer managed to score a crucial penalty in a game over West Bromwich Albion and thanks to his goal Arsenal went to the fourth round of the League Cup. Learn more details about

Nacho Monreal biography

in the following.

Monreal first FA Cup goal

At the beginning of Alexis Sanchez arrival in the club during the 2014 off season,

wore number 18 shirt which previously belonged to Sebastien Squillaci. On 23 August, Monreal provided an assist for

’s late equalizer in a 2–2 draw over Everton. In the 2014-15 season Laurent Koscielny the center back of the team sustained a crucial Achilles tendon injury which kept him to make appearances in the games.

Meanwhile the Spanish defender was handed the task to fill his shoes and Monreal found himself in an unfamiliar position of the central defender, however he quickly adapted to his new situation and found his place. Stay tuned for more details about Nacho Monreal biography in the following.

The Winner of PFA Player of The Month Award

Arsenal signed a new contract with the footballer for a long period of time on 19th January 2016. In the same season on 9th March 2015, during the FA Cup in a game over Manchester United in the quarter final the Spanish player managed to score his first ever FA cup goal for the side. Later he featured the entire 90 minutes in a 4-0 loss to Aston Villa at Wembley Stadium. On October 2017, Monreal received a PFA Player of the Month award for his outstanding performance.

On 6 November 2017, following Monreal’s great performance on the defensive line the footballer was handed the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Month award for October of that year. On 20 January, Monreal scored one goal and provided two assists before retiring injured 30 minutes into an eventual 4–1 home victory over Crystal Palace. Find out more details about

Nacho Monreal biography

in the following.

Real Sociedad

On 31 August 2019, the Spanish defender came back to Spain and reached an agreement with

.  He signed a two-year contract with the side. After two weeks he managed to aim the net for his first goal which was during his debut for the side in a 2-0 win against

at Anoeta Stadium.

International Career

In 2007, Monreal got his first call up to feature on the international level with Spain's under-21 team. The footballer featured in all of the games in the 2009 UEFA European Championship, in an eventual group stage exit. On 6 August 2009, Monreal earned his first call up to the first team for an exhibition game with Macedonia. The Spanish defender featured in the 15 minutes in a 3-2 away victory. On 7 September 2010, during Spain’s second game following their victory in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Monreal played the whole 90 minutes in the 1–4 friendly defeat by

.

Monreal was part of the squad which reached the final of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil. In that game, he was the second choice left-back and Jordi Alba from Barcelona was ahead of him. The defender featured in two group games and he started with a 10-0 heavy thrashing of Tahiti at the Maracana where he provided an assist for

's goal. Monreal aimed the net for his first international goal on 12 November 2016, in a 4-0 win over Macedonia in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in Granada. Later Julen Lopetegui selected him for the finals in Russia.

Style of Play

Upon the arrival of Monreal at Arsenal back in 2013, Arsene Wenger the manager of the club described the footballer as “a strong left-sided defender with good experience at both club and international level. He is a technically gifted player, a good crosser in the final third and strong in the air.” The Spanish player is a versatile player who is able to play defensive–minded left-back in a four-man back-line and in addition to that he is also capable of being in a centre-back position or even as a left-sided defender in a back three.

Reception 

Monreal is an underrated footballer according to his own words: “I know what kind of player I am: I’ve never been a star who scores goals or makes the difference. But every time I pulled on the Arsenal shirt; I gave my all. I felt proud just warming up. You could feel the fans’ affection, gratitude. I’m very fond of them too.” He helped Arsenal win three FA Cup trophies while taking part in 251 matches across all competitions. In addition to the PFA Player of The Month Award he won he also won the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Month Award.

The Spanish defender stated about the course of his career at different clubs: “It’s always tough at the start, at least for me: at

, Málaga and Arsenal. I’m a very shy person, staying in my close circle. When you go somewhere new that timidity can be a problem. It was hard going from playing before 200 people, being anonymous, to 15,000. People talking about you. Feeling eyes on you in the street. You create a kind of invisible protective cloak. You’re just a kid.”

He added: “After many years it’s not a problem, which is why I’m enjoying it now – because it doesn’t affect me anymore. I can concentrate on the positive things. If you can’t handle the pressure, it can swallow you. That happened in my first year; it ate me up. With every mistake, you hear someone whistle and sink a little. Thankfully I overcame it. Now I don’t hear anything.” Stay tuned for more details about

Nacho Monreal biography

.

Goal Celebration 

When it comes to celebrating his goals, Nacho Monreal jumps in the air out of joy and makes a fist as a sign of victory.

Nacho Monreal Outside Football 

Monreal is a footballer who is fully dedicated and thinks about the game 24/7. But off the pitch he is a family man who always puts his family first. According to

Nacho Monreal life story

he is an outdoor person who loves to travel and often posts photos of himself along with his family. He is also very close to Santi Cazorla, his teammate in Arsenal. Cazorla is a Spanish attacking midfielder who currently plays for Qatar Stars League club Al Sadd.

In 2018, Monreal posted a photo on Instagram along with

which shows the profound friendship he has with the player. He captioned: “One of the greatest of all time, the joy of the game. Seven years of sharing the dressing room, laughter and great moments. Can’t wait to see you again on the field doing the best you can do. We will miss you.”

Nacho Monreal Personal Life

Behind every successful man there is a woman. The same goes for the Spanish footballer as well.

Nacho Monreal religion

is Christian and he is dedicated to his family. The footballer married his stunning girlfriend Isabel Ramos on June 16, 2016. They got married in a simple wedding ceremony as Isabel walked down the aisle in the traditional white dress. The couple said their vows and tied the knot among their family and friends.

Family, Children and Relationships 

The football wag supports her husband in every up and down and she always sits in the front row every time Monreal has a game. Unlike other football wags, Isabel doesn’t like to share personal information and she doesn’t post pictures of her daily routine with the fans. Her Instagram account is private as well. However, the football wag sometimes gets into fights with fans who say bad things about her husband. In November 2014, she got into a fight with a fan who mocked her popularity and number of followers on Twitter and that she married Monreal for his money.

She reacted to this comment and stated: “yes…I’m only after his … If only u knew how our relationship is. Anyway… Never will you be with someone like him.” The couple are parents to a beautiful little girl and they prefer not to share information about their child. In May 2019, Monreal shared a picture of her daughter’s first birthday and captioned: “Her 1st birthday. Lots of happiness and love.” Stay tuned for more details about Nacho Monreal biography.

Philanthropy

At the time Monreal played for Arsenal, along with Alexis Sanchez and Petr Cech, they formed a musical band all in aid of the club’s charity foundation. The trio dedicated a Christmas song to fans in order to raise money. Their song was released before their last victory of 2015, asking fans to donate by sending a text message to AFCF12 with a donation to 70070 to make a donation.

Legal Issues

The closest thing Monreal had to a legal issue was at the time he played for Arsenal. The Spanish defender posted a video of himself on Instagram while scoring a goal. By doing so he broke copyright law and Arsenal removed the video. When it comes to piracy and illegal streaming, the gunners have restricted rules.

Nacho Monreal Career Statistics

Over the years Monreal came a long way and established himself as a professional footballer. He grew well and made a name for himself as a talented defender. We have gathered information about the footballer’s career statistics such as number of goals and appearances he made for different clubs in the following.

Club

In 2004, Monreal went on and joined Osasuna B in the second division. He remained at the club for two seasons and made 36 appearances for the side while aiming the net for three goals. In 2006, the Spanish defender joined Osasuna in 2006. In 2011, the defender reached agreement with Malaga and he remained at the club for two seasons. Overall, he featured in 54 games and scored only one goal for the side.

In 2012, he went to London and signed a contract with the gunners. Monreal made wonders with Arsenal. He won a PFA Player of The Month Award and a Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Month Award. He stayed at the club for eight seasons while making 251 appearances and scoring 10 goals for the side. Learn more details about Nacho Monreal biography in the following.

Monreal Considers Real Sociedad The Best Squad 

For the 2019-20 season the Spanish defender made a move to Real Sociedad and signed a contract with the side. In an interview the footballer remarked about his arrival at Real Sociedad: “When I signed, I knew the club, the players, and knew we would play good football, that we’d be high up. But honestly, not this high. I encountered a better team than expected. In depth, this is probably the best squad I’ve been in.”

He added: “We’ve made a leap in quality this season. I’d heard the club was working on a signing but it never crossed my mind that it could be David. One day I was flicking through the sports press: ‘David Silva signs for Real Sociedad. It was a shock. He’d been at City 10 years; the talk was of Lazio or leaving Europe. There are loads of places he could have gone.”

Monreal further explained: “It was quick. Martin Ødegaard was going to stay: that’s what they’d said. But then

decided to take him back. That hurt. We were left a little ‘orphaned’ by it, but the club handled it very, very well and above all very fast. In less than two days we’d gone from losing Ødegaard to signing Silva. You have to applaud that.” So far, the footballer has made 69 appearances and scored 4 goals for Real Sociedad.”

International 

Between 2009 to 2018 Monreal served Spain national team and featured in all the games. Overall, he played in 22 games while scoring only one goal for his country.  

Managerial

So far Monreal didn’t make any plans to pursue his career as a manager. 

Honors

We have listed Nacho Monreal’s achievements and honors both Individually and for the clubs he has served. Find out the details in the following.

Arsenal

• FA Cup: 2013–14,[42] 2014–15, 2016–17

• FA Community Shield: 2014, 2015, 2017

• EFL Cup runner-up: 2017–18

• UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2018–19

Real Sociedad

• Copa del Rey: 2019–20

Spain

• FIFA Confederations Cup runner-up: 2013

Individual

• Professional Footballers' Association Fans' Player of the Month: October 2017

Related Article: 

Follow 

 for the