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

Before joining Athletic Dani spent six seasons at SD Eibar, where he was pivotal in their rise from the Segunda B to LaLiga. His performances over at Ipurua led 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.

Despite reaching two Copa del Rey finals and winning a Super Cup in his first three campaigns as a Lion, Dani is yet to score a goal for Athletic, something he’ll be looking to rectify in 2021-22.