Dani García is the rock at the heart of Athletic Club’s midfield. He’s a consistent presence in the starting XI and is one of coach Gaizka Garitano’s lieutenants on the pitch.

García and Garitano know each other well from their time together at SD Eibar, where Dani García was pivotal in Eibar’s rise from the Segunda B to LaLiga. His performance over in Ipurua lead to Athletic Club signing him in the summer of 2018.

Dani García is one of the smartest defensive midfielders in LaLiga. A lot of his work goes unseen by many, but not by his teammates, and most certainly not by Athletic Club fans.

He likes to sit back in the midfield and protect his centre-backs. He’s an expert in breaking down opposition moves in transition phases and rarely loses possession. Quite often Dani will win a round of applause from the San Mamés crowds after tracking back 50 yards to thwart an opponent’s attacking effort.

At the beginning of the 2019-20 campaign, Dani Garcia started and completed 22 games in a row, racking up 1,980 minutes without being subbed or dropped.

In his first two seasons at Athletic Club, García played in 72 official matches, but he is still waiting to score his first goal.