Simon Greatwich

{{short description|Filipino international footballer (born 1988)}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Simon Greatwich

| image =

| image_size = 250

| caption =

| fullname = Simon Clive Barbon Greatwich

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1988|9|30|df=y}}

| birth_place = Brighton, England

| height =

| position = Centre midfielder

| currentclub = Maharlika

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = 1998–xxxx

| youthclubs1 = Brighton & Hove Albion

| years1 = 2006–2007

| clubs1 = Burgess Hill Town

| caps1 =

| goals1 =

| years2 = 2007–2009

| clubs2 = Ringmer

| caps2 =

| goals2 =

| years3 = 2009–2011

| clubs3 = Hartwick Hawks

| caps3 = 34

| goals3 = 2

| years4 = 2012–2017

| clubs4 = Meralco Manila

| caps4 = 67

| goals4 = 7

| years5 = 2020–

| clubs5 = Maharlika Manila

| caps5 = 0

| goals5 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2008–

| nationalteam1 = Philippines

| nationalcaps1 = 18

| nationalgoals1 = 1

| club-update = 09:23, 4 September 2020 (UTC)

| ntupdate = 07:46, 25 November 2014 (UTC)

}}

Simon Clive Barbon Greatwich (born 30 September 1988) is a Filipino international footballer who plays for Maharlika Manila, as a central midfielder.

Early and personal life

Born in Brighton on 30 September 1988,{{cite news|url=http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/2bu/2bu/view/20110129-317200/Catching-up-with-the-Azkals-in-training|title=Catching up with the Azkals|author=Stef Cabal & Sasha Uy|work=Inquirer.net|publisher=Philippine Daily Inquirer|date=29 January 2011|accessdate=18 April 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110201064624/http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/2bu/2bu/view/20110129-317200/Catching-up-with-the-Azkals-in-training|archivedate=1 February 2011}} Greatwich is the younger brother of fellow players Christopher Greatwich and Phil Greatwich, and was born to an English father and a Filipina mother who is originally from Davao.{{cite news|url=http://www.gmanews.tv/story/211990/know-your-azkals-not-just-another-greatwich|title=Know your Azkals: Not just another Greatwich|accessdate=2 February 2011|date=1 February 2011|author=Mav C. Gonzales|work=GMAnews.tv|publisher=Global Media Arts Network}}

Career

=Club career=

After playing youth football with Brighton & Hove Albion, Greatwich spent his early senior career in English non-league football with Burgess Hill Town and Ringmer, before moving to the United States in 2009 to play college soccer with the Hartwick Hawks.{{cite news|url=http://www.hartwick.edu/athletics/team-archive/mens-soccer-2008-archive/04-24-09-recruiting-clas |title=Five players with national team experience headline 2009 men's soccer recruiting class|work=Hartwick.edu|publisher=Hartwick College|date=29 April 2009|accessdate=18 April 2011}}

In early January 2012, Greatwich signed with Filipino side Loyola Meralco Sparks in time for the 2011-12 United Football League season.{{cite news

|title = Gier, Beloya, Greatwich lead new UFL faces

|url = http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/gier-beloya-greatwich-lead-new-ufl-faces

|work = InterAKTV

|publisher = Associated Broadcasting Company (TV5)

|date = 12 January 2012

|accessdate = 12 January 2012

|url-status = dead

|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20120115095934/http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/gier-beloya-greatwich-lead-new-ufl-faces

|archivedate = 15 January 2012

}}

He make his debut for the Sparks on 18 May 2012 against Geylang United FC for the 2012 Singapore Cup.{{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20120729084952/http://www.espnstar.com/football/sleague/news/detail/item804032/Valiant-Loyola-win-in-Singapore-Cup-debut/ Valiant Loyola win in Singapore Cup debut]}} Gabriel Tan, ESPNStar.com. 19 May 2012 His club was renamed as F.C. Meralco Manila when it joined the inaugural season of the Philippines Football League in 2017 which is the last time the club played in a league before its dissolution in January 2018.{{cite news|last1=Go|first1=Beatrice|title=PH football club Meralco Manila ceases operations|url=https://www.rappler.com/sports/by-sport/football/193179-fc-meralco-manila-cease-operations-ph-football|accessdate=8 January 2018|work=Rappler|date=8 January 2018}} In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was announced that he would play as a central midfielder for newly formed club Maharlika.{{Cite web|url=https://sports.inquirer.net/403087/maharlika-fc-secures-license-to-play-in-pfl|title=PFL welcomes Maharlika club|first=Cedelf P.|last=Tupas|date=2 September 2020|website=INQUIRER.net}}

=International career=

Greatwich made his international debut for the Philippines on 17 October 2008 in the 2008 AFF Suzuki Cup qualification tournament.{{citation needed|date=May 2013}}

=International goals=

:Scores and results list the Philippines' goal tally first.

class="wikitable"

! # !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition !! Reference

31 October 2014

Grand Hamad Stadium, Doha

Friendly

{{cite web|title=Azkals stretch winning streak against Nepal in Doha |url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/386183/sports/football/azkals-stretch-winning-streak-against-nepal-in-doha |work=GMA Network |date=1 November 2014 |accessdate=12 November 2014}}

Honours

=Club=

;Loyola

UFL Cup: 2013; Third 2012[http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/stallion-wins-ufl-cup-in-upset-over-global Stallion wins UFL Cup in upset over Global] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121219070148/http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/stallion-wins-ufl-cup-in-upset-over-global |date=19 December 2012 }} Karl Decena, InterAKTV. 17 December 2012