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Although he has not yet represented the 1st team of Real Madrid, he will definitely be there in the forth coming years, as he is a regular in the Castilla and his national side. In 2007, the ‘World Soccer’ magazine named him in the 50 most exciting teenagers in the planet, proving his true ability.
Internationally, he is regular in the youth teams, and at the age of 17, he made is full international debut for Ghana. Unfortunately, due to an ankle injury he missed the 2008 African Cup of Nations, however he will definitely feature in the 2009 edition and prove his ability once again at a big stage.
For the Castilla side, last season he featured in 30 games, proving he is a favourite in the team and recently he has been training with the 1st team, showing that they recognise his ability. He is currently on a 4 year deal with Madrid and there has not been any public speculation with any other teams being interested or approaching him. However, if there was, it will be unlikely that Real will want to let him go due to his potential and will be valued around €3-5 million.
Attributes
His main attributes are that he is very quick and agile and can pass and cross the ball at a high standard, as he had many assists in the 2007 Under 17’s World Cup. For his position, he possesses all the required attributes at a high standard.
Mental/Creativity
He is a true professional and very dedicated in his passion. He also has a football-brain, as he uses quick speed to find space and open up play for his team mates. Also, he is very creative and finds those killer balls for the forwards. He is also very confident and is composed which is an important aspect for defender and will prove vital for when he plays at the top-level.
Physical
As mentioned before in his main attributes, he possesses great pace and agility, however he also has a lot of stamina, as he moves quickly from defence to attack, and then back to defence. Although he does not have a towering presence, he is still very strong and will get stuck in for his defensive duties.
Dribbling/Technique
As he is a very quick player off the ball, he is also very quick whilst dribbling and has the technical ability to run at a high speed and take on an opposition. He can also turn and change direction quickly and sharply, which proves useful in tight environments. Furthermore, on his technique, he quick feet and also close control which proves useful down the wing.
Passing/Crossing
He possesses similar passing attributes to midfielders, as he finds the perfect passes to his team mates in any situation. He can adapt quickly depending on the manager’s tactics, as he can play the short, patient play and pass well at a short distance. Furthermore, he can play direct, and pass quickly and play those perfect through balls. As for his crossing, he can drill or float them in depending on the attacking presence, but particularly he his good at the first time drilled crosses, which proved vital in the 2007 under 17’s World Cup with his many assists.
Long Shots
Proven quite useful for a full back as they have a lot of space, especially from set pieces when they lurk outside the area. As for Daniel, he has the ability and confidence to hit his shots from a fair distance with power and accuracy.
Defence
Due to his dedication and work rate, he combines this with his natural defending ability and particularly his sliding tackles are his strong points, as he times them to perfection. As for his standing, one-on-ones he his quite good and anticipating the opposition’s movement and making the tackle successful.
Weaknesses
Although it is not necessarily important for a full back, his heading is quite poor, mainly due to his stature. Looking particularly at the main attributes needed for a full back, he obtains them all at a good level, however focusing on his weakest, it would be his standing tackles, as a result he has plenty of time to adjust and improve in order to become complete and one of the best full backs in the world in the forthcoming years.
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