{{Short description|Footballer (born 1981)}} {{family name hatnote|Cancela|Rodríguez|lang=Spanish}} {{EngvarB|date=December 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Dani Cancela | image = Daniel Cancela Rodríguez.JPG | upright = | alt = | caption = Cancela playing with Kitchee in 2012 | fullname = Daniel Cancela Rodríguez | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1981|9|23|df=y}}<ref name=Bio>{{cite web|url=https://www.eurosport.co.uk/football/dani-cancela_prs368233/person.shtml|title=Dani Cancela|publisher=Eurosport|access-date=4 July 2022}}</ref> | birth_place = A Coruña, Spain | height = 1.75 m<ref name=Bio/> | position = Left-back | currentclub = | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Deportivo La Coruña | years1 = 2000–2006 | clubs1 = Deportivo B | caps1 = | goals1 = | years2 = 2004–2005 | clubs2 = → Malpica (loan) | caps2 = | goals2 = | years3 = 2006–2008 | clubs3 = Fuenlabrada | caps3 = 60 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 2008–2010 | clubs4 = Lugo | caps4 = 38 | goals4 = 1 | years5 = 2010–2022 | clubs5 = Kitchee | caps5 = 155 | goals5 = 4 | totalcaps = 253 | totalgoals = 5 | nationalyears1 = 2017–2019 | nationalteam1 = Hong Kong | nationalcaps1 = 15 | nationalgoals1 = 0 }} '''Daniel''' "'''Dani'''" '''Cancela Rodríguez''' ({{zh|t=丹尼}}; born 23 September 1981) is a former professional footballer who played as a left-back.
Born in Spain, he spent most of his career with Kitchee in Hong Kong after signing in 2010, eventually going on to represent the Hong Kong national team.
==Club career== ===Spain=== Born in A Coruña, Galicia, Cancela played several years for Deportivo de La Coruña, but only appeared officially for the reserves where he spent five seasons, four in the Tercera División. He was also loaned to amateurs Malpica SDC during his contract.<ref>[https://www.vavel.com/es/futbol/2013/11/27/deportivo-de-la-coruna/306394.html Entrevista Dani Cancela: "En Hong Kong me he encontrado gente con camisetas de Valerón y Riki" (Dani Cancela interview: "I have found folks in Hong Kong with Valerón and Riki shirts")]; Vavel, 27 November 2013 (in Spanish)</ref>
After leaving the Estadio Riazor in 2006, Cancela moved to the Segunda División B, competing two seasons apiece with CF Fuenlabrada and CD Lugo.<ref>[http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/deportes/2010/08/13/0003_8665546.htm Losada y Cancela, dos gallegos en el Barcelona chino (Losada y Cancela, two Galicians in Chinese Barcelona)]; La Voz de Galicia, 12 August 2010 (in Spanish)</ref>
===Hong Kong=== Cancela signed for Kitchee SC in Hong Kong on 26 July 2010, alongside compatriots Fernando Recio and Jordi Tarrés. On 28 January of the following year, he renewed his contract for another two years.<ref>[http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/deportes/2011/01/28/0003_201101G28P54993.htm Dani Cancela renueva por dos temporadas con el Kitchee de Hong Kong (Dani Cancela renews for two seasons with Kitchee from Hong Kong)]; La Voz de Galicia, 28 January 2011 (in Spanish)</ref>
On 19 August 2022, after a match against BG Pathum United F.C. in the round of 16 of the AFC Champions League, Cancela announced his retirement at the age of 40. He made 250 competitive appearances during his spell at the Mong Kok Stadium, winning several honours including eight Premier Leagues.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.riazor.org/dani-cancela-primer-extranjero-alcanzar-250-partidos-kitchee/|title=El coruñés Dani Cancela, primer extranjero en alcanzar los 250 partidos con el Kitchee|trans-title=Coruña-born Dani Cancela, first foreigner to reach 250 games with Kitchee|publisher=Riazor|language=es|date=19 August 2022|access-date=7 September 2022}}</ref>
==International career== Cancela received his Hong Kong passport in October 2017, at the age of 36.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2113730/spanish-born-jorge-tarres-condemns-violence-catalonia-he-eyes-hong|title=Spanish-born Jorge Tarres condemns violence in Catalonia as he eyes Hong Kong debut in Asian Cup qualifier|publisher=South China Morning Post|date=2 October 2017|access-date=9 October 2017}}</ref> He made his debut for the national team on 5 October, in a 4–0 friendly win over Laos.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hkfa.com/news_details2/15258|title=International Friendly Match – Hong Kong 4:0 Laos|publisher=Hong Kong Football Association|date=5 October 2017|access-date=9 October 2017}}</ref>
==Career statistics== ===Club=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition<ref>{{BDFutbol|100107}}</ref><ref>{{Soccerway|new_id=cancela-dani/rXEsjLwc}}</ref> |- !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="3"|Fuenlabrada |2006–07 |rowspan="2"|Segunda División B |29||0||1||0||0||0||30||0 |- |2007–08 |31||0||0||0||0||0||31||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !60!!0!!1!!0!!0!!0!!61!!0 |- |rowspan="3"|Lugo |2008–09 |rowspan="2"|Segunda División B |16||0||1||0||0||0||17||0 |- |2009–10 |22||1||0||0||0||0||22||1 |- !colspan="2"|Total !38!!1!!1!!0!!0!!0!!39!!1 |- |rowspan="13"|Kitchee |2010–11 |rowspan="4"|Hong Kong First Division League |15||0||3||0||0||0||18||0 |- |2011–12 |15||0||5||0||7||0||27||0 |- |2012–13 |10||0||5||0||0||0||15||0 |- |2013–14 |19||3||4||0||0||0||23||3 |- |2014–15 |rowspan="8"|Hong Kong Premier League |11||0||8||0||0||0||19||0 |- |2015–16 |12||0||7||1||0||0||19||1 |- |2016–17 |19||1||7||0||0||0||26||1 |- |2017–18 |8||0||10||0||4||0||22||0 |- |2018–19 |17||0||8||0||7||1||32||1 |- |2019–20 |10||0||3||0||0||0||13||0 |- |2020–21 |16||0||6||0||5||0||27||0 |- |2021–22 |3||0||5||0||1||0||9||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !155!!4!!71!!1!!24!!1!!250!!6 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !253!!5!!73!!1!!24!!1!!350!!7 |}
===International=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |+ Appearances and goals by national team and year<ref>{{NFT player|69053}}</ref> |- !National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="3"|Hong Kong |2017||4||0 |- |2018||6||0 |- |2019||5||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total!!15!!0 |}
==Honours== '''Kitchee''' *Hong Kong Premier League: 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2019–20, 2020–21 *Hong Kong First Division: 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14 *Hong Kong Senior Shield: 2016–17, 2018–19 *Hong Kong FA Cup: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19 *Hong Kong Sapling Cup: 2017–18, 2019–20 *Hong Kong League Cup: 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16
==References== {{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==External links== *{{BDFutbol|100107}} *{{NFT player|id=69053}}
{{Navboxes |bg=gold |fg=navy |title=Awards and achievement |list1= {{2010–11 Hong Kong Top Footballer}} {{2011–12 Hong Kong Top Footballer}} {{2020–21 Hong Kong Top Footballer}} }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cancela, Dani}} Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:Spanish emigrants to Hong Kong Category:21st-century Spanish sportsmen Category:Spanish men's footballers Category:Hong Kong men's footballers Category:Footballers from A Coruña Category:Naturalised footballers of Hong Kong Category:Men's association football full-backs Category:Segunda División B players Category:Tercera División players Category:Deportivo Fabril players Category:CF Fuenlabrada footballers Category:CD Lugo players Category:Hong Kong First Division League players Category:Hong Kong Premier League players Category:Kitchee SC players Category:Hong Kong League XI representative players Category:Hong Kong men's international footballers Category:Spanish expatriate men's footballers Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Hong Kong Category:Spanish expatriate sportspeople in Hong Kong