1. Early Life and Youth Career
Dani Rodríguez was born on 6 June 1988, in Betanzos, a municipality located in the Province of A Coruña, within the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain. He began his footballing journey in the youth system of his local club, Deportivo de La Coruña, where he completed his formative years. He made his senior debut during the 2007-08 season with Betanzos CF, playing in Tercera División while on loan from Deportivo.
2. Club Career
Rodríguez's professional career spans several Spanish clubs, marking a steady progression through the league system, culminating in his significant contributions to promotions to La Liga.
2.1. Early Professional Career
Following his loan spell at Betanzos CF, Rodríguez returned to Deportivo de La Coruña, where he was assigned to the club's reserve team, Deportivo de La Coruña B, competing in Segunda División B. His first appearance as a professional footballer came on 27 January 2010, when he played the final 25 minutes of a Copa del Rey match against Sevilla FC, contributing to a 1-0 away win. In August 2011, Rodríguez moved to UB Conquense, another club in the third division. On 24 July 2012, he signed with Racing de Ferrol, then in the fourth division. He played a crucial role in their promotion to Segunda División B at the end of his first season (2012-13) and subsequently extended his contract until 2015. On 2 July 2015, Rodríguez moved to Racing de Santander, also in the third tier, after agreeing to a three-year deal.
2.2. Albacete Balompié
On 27 July 2016, Dani Rodríguez joined Albacete Balompié. During his tenure, he quickly established himself as an undisputed starter, playing a vital role in the team's successful promotion to Segunda División in the 2016-17 season. He scored his first professional goal on 8 October 2017, securing the winning goal through a penalty kick in a 2-1 home victory against Lorca FC.
2.3. RCD Mallorca
Rodríguez signed a three-year contract with RCD Mallorca on 18 June 2018, joining the club as a free agent while they were still in the Segunda División. He proved to be a pivotal player in his first season with Mallorca (2018-19), helping the club secure promotion to La Liga.
2.3.1. La Liga Tenure and Key Achievements
In the 2019-20 season, at the age of 31, Dani Rodríguez made his debut in La Liga, Spain's top football division. He played 37 matches and scored 5 goals during this season. Although Mallorca was relegated back to Segunda División after one year, Rodríguez remained an integral part of the squad. He contributed to the club's immediate return to La Liga the following season. On 27 August 2021, he scored the opening goal in the 27th minute against RCD Espanyol at Mallorca's home ground, Estadi de Son Moix, securing a 1-0 victory and the team's first home win of the 2021-22 La Liga season.
3. Playing Style and Attributes
Dani Rodríguez primarily operates as a central midfielder. Standing at 70 in (177 cm) and weighing 157 lb (71 kg), he is a right-footed player. His playing style is characterized by his tactical versatility and significant contributions to both defense and attack. A notable attribute highlighted by the Spanish newspaper AS in July 2020 was his exceptional speed; a survey conducted by the publication identified Rodríguez as the fastest player in La Liga during the 2019-20 season.
4. Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Deportivo B | 2008-09 | Segunda División B | 34 | 0 | - | - | 34 | 0 | ||
| 2009-10 | Tercera División | 22 | 9 | - | - | 22 | 9 | |||
| 2010-11 | Segunda División B | 32 | 2 | - | - | 32 | 2 | |||
| Total | 88 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 88 | 11 | ||
| Deportivo La Coruña | 2009-10 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | |
| Betanzos (loan) | 2007-08 | Tercera División | ? | ? | - | - | ? | ? | ||
| Conquense | 2011-12 | Segunda División B | 32 | 2 | - | 2 | 0 | 34 | 2 | |
| Racing Ferrol | 2012-13 | Tercera División | 35 | 7 | - | 2 | 0 | 37 | 7 | |
| 2013-14 | Segunda División B | 31 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 34 | 2 | |
| 2014-15 | Segunda División B | 37 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 41 | 5 | |
| Total | 103 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 112 | 14 | ||
| Racing Santander | 2015-16 | Segunda División B | 36 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 41 | 5 |
| Albacete | 2016-17 | Segunda División B | 34 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 42 | 6 |
| 2017-18 | Segunda División | 38 | 6 | 1 | 0 | - | 39 | 6 | ||
| Total | 72 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 81 | 12 | ||
| Mallorca | 2018-19 | Segunda División | 38 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 43 | 4 |
| 2019-20 | La Liga | 37 | 5 | 1 | 0 | - | 38 | 5 | ||
| 2020-21 | Segunda División | 38 | 8 | 0 | 0 | - | 38 | 8 | ||
| 2021-22 | La Liga | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 3 | 1 | ||
| Total | 116 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 122 | 18 | ||
| Career total | 447+ | 60+ | 9 | 0 | 23 | 2 | 479+ | 62+ | ||
5. Honors
Deportivo B
- Tercera División: 2009-10
Racing Ferrol
- Tercera División: 2012-13
Albacete Balompié
- Segunda División B promotion: 2016-17
RCD Mallorca
- Segunda División promotion: 2018-19, 2020-21