Simon was a Barclays Premier League rookie when he joined Sunderland but has rapidly developed into a key player.

The big Belgian fills the goal with his imposing physical presence and has a reputation for bravery, often putting his body on the line to make the big save.

He is something of an academic and is the proud holder of a degree in Social Science and Politics, which he studied for part-time alongside his football.

Born in Sint-Truiden, Belgium, Simon came through the youth ranks with his home-town club as a goalkeeper having wanted to be an outfield player as a child!

He made 104 appearances for Sint-Truiden, helping the club win a surprise promotion to the Belgian top flight and even scoring a goal along the way – he took a penalty and missed, only to score the rebound!

Sunderland reportedly held off interest from clubs across Europe to persuade Simon to sign a five-year deal in June 2010 for an undisclosed fee.

He was expected to start the season on the bench, but an injury to then-starter Craig Gordon gave Simon his chance and he hasn’t looked back, making 61 appearances across his first two seasons.

An accidental elbow from Emile Heskey resulted in a serious facial injury in October 2011, but Simon returned on New Year’s Day and was the regular starting keeper for the remainder of the 2011-12 campaign.

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