Moses Simon Profile: Career, Market Value And Honors

Moses Daddy-Ajala Simon, born on July 12, 1995, is a Nigerian professional footballer. He plays as a forward or left winger for the French Ligue 1 club Nantes and the Nigeria national team. Moses Simon was born in Jos, Nigeria.

Moses Simon Club Career:
Moses Simon began his football career at the GBS Academy in Nigeria, a renowned football academy that has produced other notable players such as Ahmed Musa. Also, he was linked with Kaduna United.

However, his talent drew the attention of many professional clubs abroad, eager to sign the young talent. Simon later signed a pre-contractual agreement with Dutch club Ajax In May 2013.

This move came after he had been linked with major clubs like Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. Simon’s first appearance for Ajax was on 13 July 2013, in a pre-season friendly match against De Graafschap.

He came on as a substitute and scored the third and final goal, securing a 3–0 away win for his team. Simon continued to impress, making another appearance on 17 July, playing for Jong Ajax in a friendly match against Voorschoten ’97.

And, he scored the second goal in a 5–0 home win. However, despite these promising performances, Ajax decided not to sign Simon permanently.

Following this disappointment, Simon began discussions with AS Trenčín, Ajax’s partner club in Slovakia. Simon penned a three-year contract with AS Trenčín on 13 January 2014.

At Trenčín, he joined his fellow Nigerian, Kingsley Madu. Simon made his league debut in a 1–1 draw against MFK Košice, starting on the right wing alongside Gino van Kessel, who was on loan from Ajax.

Simon’s club international debut came during Trenčín’s 2014–15 UEFA Europa League campaign, where he scored a hat-trick in his first game, leading his team to a 4–0 home win against Vojvodina Novi Sad. However, Trenčín was eliminated in the next round by Hull City.

Simon’s performances caught the eye of many scouts, and in October 2014, ESPN Sports prepared a scouting report linking him with a move to Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Hull City, and a potential return to Ajax.

Gent won the race and signed Simon on a three-year contract on 6 January 2015. Simon made his debut for Gent on 17 January 2015, in a 3–1 league win against Royal Mouscron-Péruwelz.

Just four days later, he played in the Belgian Cup against Lokeren, where he was sent off 30 seconds after entering the field. Simon quickly found his footing in the Belgian league.

In his third league game, once again against Lokeren, Simon scored a hat-trick and was named Belgian league player of the week. His contributions were instrumental in helping Gent win their first-ever national championship title in May 2015.

Simon’s impact was also felt when he assisted Laurent Depoitre’s winning goal in the 2015 Belgian Super Cup against Club Brugge.

After three successful years at Gent, Simon move to Spanish La Liga side Levante on 6 August 2018, signing a five-year contract.

Though his time at Levante was not as prolific in terms of goals, with just one goal in 19 appearances, he expressed his happiness at being part of the team in March 2019.

Simon’s career took another turn when he was loaned out to French Ligue 1 club Nantes on 15 August 2019. He had a productive season with Nantes, scoring five goals in 26 appearances.

Impressed by his performances, Nantes decided to trigger the option to buy Simon at the end of the season. He then signed a four-year contract with the club.

However, Simon has continued to be a key player for Nantes, having extended his contract with the club until 2026. Over his career with Nantes, he has made 119 appearances and scored 20 goals.

Moses Simon International Career:
Moses Simon began his international career with the national team in March 2015. He was first called up by coach Daniel Amokachi.

Simon made his debut for the Nigeria national team on March 25, 2015, in a friendly match against Uganda. In this game, he came on as a substitute, replacing Anthony Ujah after 59 minutes.

On September 8, 2015, he scored his first goal for Nigeria in a friendly match against Niger. In 2016, Simon was selected for Nigeria’s 35-man provisional squad for the Summer Olympics.

While he did not make it to the final team for the Olympics, being considered for such an important tournament was a notable achievement.

Two years later, in May 2018, Simon was named in Nigeria’s preliminary 30-man squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Sadly, injury prevented him from making the final 23-man squad for the tournament. It was a tough moment for Simon, as playing in the World Cup is a dream for many footballers.

Despite this disappointment, Simon continued to work hard and remain a key player for Nigeria. His efforts were rewarded when he was included in the country’s 23-man squad for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Moses Simon Market Value:
Moses Simon’s market value is currently €12.00 million.

Back in 2016, it was around €2.0 million. By 2018, it increased to €4.0 million, and In 2020, it was €6.0 million, and by 2022, it reached €10.0 million. Now, in 2024, it stands at €12.0 million.

Moses Simon Honors:
Gent
● 2014/2015: Belgian Pro League

● 2015: Belgian Super Cup

Nantes
● 2021/2022: Coupe de France

Nigeria
● 2023: Africa Cup of Nations runner-up

Orders
● Member of the Order of the Niger

Ken Anucha

Kenneth is a an avid soccer follower, fan and writer. He is a consistent follower of the sport and is a fan of Chelsea FC.