{{Short description|Romanian footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Daniel Costescu | image = | fullname = Daniel Ștefan Costescu | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|7|14|df=y}} | birth_place = Câmpina, Romania | height = 1.80 m | position = Forward | currentclub = | years1 = 1995–1996 |clubs1 = Sterom Câmpina |caps1 = |goals1 = | years2 = 1996–1998 |clubs2 = Poiana Câmpina |caps2 = 60 |goals2 = 15 | years3 = 1998–2002 |clubs3 = Petrolul Ploiești |caps3 = 113 |goals3 = 27 | years4 = 2002–2003 |clubs4 = Astra Ploiești |caps4 = 26 |goals4 = 10 | years5 = 2003–2004 |clubs5 = Petrolul Ploiești |caps5 = 36 |goals5 = 9 | years6 = 2004–2006 |clubs6 = Argeș Pitești |caps6 = 28 |goals6 = 2 | years7 = 2006–2007 |clubs7 = Unirea Urziceni |caps7 = 18 |goals7 = 2 | years8 = 2007 |clubs8 = Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț |caps8 = 8 |goals8 = 0 | years9 = 2007 |clubs9 = Dacia Mioveni |caps9 = 13 |goals9 = 2 | years10= 2008 |clubs10= Progresul București |caps10= 32 |goals10= 12 | years11= 2009–2010 |clubs11= Delta Tulcea |caps11= 42 |goals11= 14 | years12= 2010–2012 |clubs12= Baulmes |caps12= 19 |goals12= 8 | totalcaps = 395 |totalgoals = 96 }}
'''Daniel Ștefan Costescu''' (born 14 July 1976) is a Romanian former professional footballer who usually played as a striker. He scored 46 goals in 235 matches in the Romanian First Division, 47 goals in 141 matches in the Romanian Second Division and 8 goals in 19 matches in the Swiss Third Division.<ref name=RS>{{RomanianSoccer|464/daniel-stefan-costescu}}</ref> His first match in Divizia A (Romanian First Division) was Olimpia Satu Mare – Petrolul Ploiești 3–0 on 1 August 1998, while playing for Petrolul Ploiești.<ref name=RS/> He was selected once in the Romanian Divisionary National Team (comprising players playing only in the Romanian leagues).<ref name=RS/>
==Career== Born in Câmpina, Prahova county, Costescu began playing football with ''Sterom Câmpina'' in Divizia D (Romanian Fourth Division), and in 1996 he moved to the representative team of the same town, Poiana Câmpina, in Divizia B, the Romanian Second Division. He played 2 years for Poiana Câmpina, scoring 15 goals in 60 games, helping the team getting a top 10 finish in both seasons.<ref name=RS/>
He then attracted the interest of Petrolul Ploiești in Divizia A, the best team from the Prahova county, three-time champions of Romania. At Petrolul Ploiești he established himself as an important striker in the Romanian league, scoring 27 goals between 1999 and 2002. During his time at Petrolul Ploiești he caught the eyes of Romanian greats Steaua București and Dinamo Bucuresti.<ref name=RS/>
After his experience at Petrolul Ploiești, he changed the team but not the city, signing for Astra Ploiești, where he had a prolific season, scoring 10 goals in 26 games, helping them to a record-high 9th position in Divizia A.<ref name=RS/><ref name=WF>{{WorldFootball.net|daniel-costescu}}</ref>
After his short spell at Astra Ploiești, he returned to Petrolul Ploiești, where he played for another 2 years, scoring 9 goals in 36 games.<ref name=RS/><ref name=WF/>
In 2004, he transferred to a well-established club in Romania, FC Argeș Pitești, 2-time champions of Romania and the team that gave players like Nicolae Dobrin, Adrian Mutu, Adrian Neaga, Dănuț Coman and Paul Codrea. But, unfortunately for him, his time at FC Argeș was not one of the best, managing to score just 2 goals in 1 season.<ref name=RS/><ref name=WF/>
He was transferred in 2006 by Divizia A newcomers Unirea Urziceni, who were in need of an experienced man upfront. Unirea proved to be a surprise-pack, finishing 10th in the league, and Daniel scored 2 goals for his new team.<ref name=RS/><ref name=WF/>
After his season at Unirea he transferred to Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț.<ref name=RS/><ref name=WF/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Costescu, Daniel}} Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:Romanian men's footballers Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Liga I players Category:Liga II players Category:FC Astra Giurgiu players Category:FC Argeș Pitești players Category:FCM Câmpina players Category:FC Unirea Urziceni players Category:CSM Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț players Category:CS Mioveni players Category:FC Progresul București players Category:FC Delta Tulcea players Category:FC Baulmes players Category:Swiss 1. Liga (football) players Category:Romanian expatriate men's footballers Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Switzerland Category:Romanian expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland Category:People from Câmpina Category:Footballers from Prahova County