Dani García: "A 1-0 in the 88th minute would be fine by me"

Daniel García (Zumárraga, Guipúzcoa, 1990) has been part of the SD Eibar dream from the very beginning. He started out his career with the Real Sociedad youth academy before gaining experience with a number of Segunda División B sides. It was during the 2012-2013 season that he joined the armeros and became one of Gaizka Garitano’s most trusted men.

Since then, he has managed to clock up over 6000 minutes of playing time over the last two seasons, which along with his 23 Liga BBVA appearances, has made him a pivotal, hard-working and committed figure for the rest of his team-mates.

LFP.es: This is your third straight year with SD Eibar, the first was spent in the 2ªB, last year you were in the Liga Adelante and now you are playing in the Liga BBVA. What are the main reasons for the team progressing so quickly in such a short space of time?

Dani García: I think it boils down to training and, above all else, adapting to each division. If you train harder each year, push yourself more in training, your team won’t notice the difference between the divisions and you’ll have something similar happen to you as has happened to us over the last three years. We have adjusted well to life in each division and now we are getting used to the Liga BBVA, although it is harder to pick up wins now because the opposition sides are of such a high standard.

LFP.es: How would you sum up this small group of players and the manager’s work over the last three years?

Dani García: We are in the Liga BBVA now because we were able to hang onto the same strong group of players we had in the Segunda División B. There were about ten core players but the important thing was that everyone worked together so that the new players got to understand the Eibar playing philosophy, the way we do things and how the atmosphere needed to be. That was made easier because we have a lot of veterans on the team, because although we’re still young, we’ve already been with the club for a number of years. That was the key to our success in the Liga Adelante, and it is proving to be the same case in the Liga BBVA as well. It has been very easy for new players to fit in here.

LFP.es: How is it possible in the ever-changing world of football for players to stay loyal to a club and buy into the philosophy?

Dani García: It is very difficult because there is a lot of envy in the world of football, players are always comparing themselves to other team-mates. It is hard to get a good attitude in the dressing room, but we try to make it feel like we’re all part of a family. Bad influences and negative thoughts are stamped out as much as possible. We’re a united team because of that.

"the important thing is that everyone works together so that the new players understand the Eibar philosophy and the way we do things"

LFP.es: You are progressing at a tremendous rate after having played a year in each division. In what way do you think Dani García has improved over the last three years?

Dani García: By taking it one day and one training session at a time I am a different player now compared to what I was in the Segunda B. I have improved technically as I used to be more limited in that aspect of my game, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement. Tactically and defensively we are shown different things by all our coaches and seeing as Gaizka Garitano was a midfielder, he has taught us a lot in the last few years.

LFP.es: Is talent something you work on or something you are born with?

Dani García: Talent is something you have and which you improve on every day with hard work. Some players are born with an innate ability and then there are others, like me, who aren’t and who need to work on a daily basis to try and reach that level.

LFP.es: In that case, instead of being a talented player, Dani García is more of a hard worker?

Dani García: Without a doubt. If there were different categories of player, I would be sectioned off with the group of hard workers because I don’t have as much talent as other footballers, but I’m constantly working in order to improve and get to that level.

LFP.es: Athletic Club visit next for a match made all the more important as it’s a derby. How are the team approaching this game?

Dani García: This is a hugely important game, not just because it’s a derby but also because we’ve been going through a poor run of form lately and want to put an end to it with a win. You get more and more anxious for the weekend to roll around after a defeat, so imagine what its like after losing five games. We are eager to play Sunday’s match. We are training the same as always, with cool heads and with high spirits. We know what kind of team we are and that [going on a losing streak] was a possibility so we are approaching this game with the same cool heads and work ethic as always.

LFP.es: On a personal level, how will you approach this game given your history with Athletic’s big rival Real Sociedad?

Dani García: A lot of time has passed since then, things are forgotten. For me this is a Basque derby which will be hotly contested, not because I started out with the Real Sociedad youth academy, but because I am an Eibar player and I am only concerned with winning.

LFP.es: So despite your past, you have no particular interest in this Sunday’s rivals?

Dani García: I am always up for playing every team, not just Athletic. But its true, I am more excited for this game because it’s a derby, it’s a special match.

" I am more excited for this game because it’s a derby, but I am always up for playing every team"

LFP.es: If you had the choice between beating Athletic or scoring a goal against a team that for such a long time were your bitter rival, what would you pick?

Dani García: I’m not that pushed about scoring goals. I only care about my team winning. For me, the most important thing is getting Eibar as high up the league table as possible.

LFP.es: Bearing in mind your playing style and the way you set up for matches, what do you think the best tactic is for this clash?

Dani García: The best tactic is being true to ourselves. We have to try to play similarly in attack as we did against Elche CF the other day and work as intensely in defence as we did against Villareal CF. If we can get that mix right, we’ll have a good chance of winning.

LFP.es: How have the preparations been going during the week building up to the Athletic game?

Dani García: We have been working the same as always, we don’t change the way we work because of the upcoming opponents. We have to be solid in defence because if we aren’t we won’t have a chance of winning the match. We always start from the back and then concentrate on attack. We’ll do what we can and as best as we can. At the end of the day, it is proven that football teams that defend better are the ones that win the most titles and we certainly buy into that idea.

LFP.es: Do you dare make a prediction?

Dani García: 1-0 in the 88th or 90th minute would be fine by me. A header from a corner maybe, just as long as it’s a goal for Eibar

LFP.es: And to conclude, so far you have played every game this season except for one, which was due to suspension, and have clocked up over 3000 minutes of playing time on average per season. Where’s the ceiling for you in the future?

Dani García: I prefer not to set limits for myself. I just want to concentrate on playing. I’m hugely thankful of Gaitzka for giving me so many minutes of playing time and I try to pay him back with my performances in games and in training.