Daniel 'Dani' Mallo Castro (born 25 January 1979) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Dani Mallo
Personal information
Full name Daniel Mallo Castro[1]
Date of birth (1979-01-25) 25 January 1979 (age 45)[1]
Place of birth Cambre, Spain
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
1994–1995 Sporting Cambre
1995–1997 Deportivo La Coruña
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–2001 Deportivo B 82 (0)
2001–2006 Deportivo La Coruña 3 (0)
2003–2004Elche (loan) 38 (0)
2006–2008 Braga 8 (0)
2009 Falkirk 15 (0)
2009–2013 Girona 81 (0)
2013–2015 Lugo 30 (0)
2015–2016 Albacete 3 (0)
2016 Atlético Kolkata 2 (0)
2017 Hospitalet 12 (0)
Total 274 (0)
International career
1996–1998 Spain U18 12 (0)
2000 Spain U21 1 (0)
2005 Galicia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

The better part of his senior career was spent at Deportivo, where he served almost exclusively as third choice in the first team, and Girona. Over eight seasons, he appeared in 152 matches in the Segunda División.

Club career edit

Born in Cambre, Galicia,[2] Mallo spent most of his career as third-string goalkeeper with local Deportivo de La Coruña, having a loan stint at Segunda División team Elche CF in the 2003–04 season.[3] He first appeared with the main squad of the former on 4 May 2003, playing 20 minutes in a 5–0 home win over Recreativo de Huelva.[4]

Mallo joined Portugal's S.C. Braga for 2006–07 after being released. Because of injury to first choice Paulo Santos, he started the first half of the following campaign,[5] also featuring for the club in the Portuguese[6][7] and UEFA Cups.[8][9]

In late January 2009, after having spent the first months of the new season training separately, Mallo joined Falkirk until the end of the season.[10] He played in the Scottish Cup final,[11] also helping the side to the semi-finals of the domestic League Cup[12] and a final maintenance in the Scottish Premier League; despite these achievements, he did not sign a new contract and left the club on 27 June, stating he needed to move on.

In July 2009, Mallo turned down a move to join former manager John Hughes at Hibernian FC,[13] opting to return to Spain and sign with Girona FC in the country's second division. In his first year he deputised for former FC Barcelona's Albert Jorquera, and played understudy to Roberto Santamaría in the following campaign, becoming the starter subsequently.[14][15]

On 30 June 2016, after a further three years in the second tier with CD Lugo[16] and Albacete Balompié,[17] being relegated in the last one, the 37-year-old Mallo moved to the Indian Super League, joining three compatriots (including manager José Francisco Molina, his former Deportivo teammate) at Atlético de Kolkata.[18]

Personal life edit

Cambre's municipal ground was named after Mallo.[19]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Dani Mallo at FBref.com  
  2. ^ Dani Mallo, de entrenar porteros en Abegondo a hacer la compra para los que no pueden salir (Dani Mallo, from coaching goalkeepers at Abegondo to shopping for those won cannot get out); La Voz de Galicia, 21 April 2020 (in Spanish)
  3. ^ Dani Mallo se va cedido al Elche; Djalma se aleja (Dani Mallo goes to Elche on loan; Djalma a long shot now); Diario AS, 18 July 2003 (in Spanish)
  4. ^ El Deportivo pisa los talones al líder con una exhibición de juego y goles (5–0) (Deportivo hot on leader's trail with display of game and goals (5–0)); El País, 4 May 2003 (in Spanish)
  5. ^ Sp. Braga: Paulo Santos de fora da lista para o F.C. Porto (Sp. Braga: Paulo Santos out of squad for F.C. Porto); Mais Futebol, 17 August 2007 (in Portuguese)
  6. ^ Sp. Braga-Portimonense, 5–2: Espertos na área (Sp. Braga-Portimonense, 5–2: Clever in the box); Record, 8 January 2007 (in Portuguese)
  7. ^ Taça: Sp. Braga-Pontassolense, 2–1 (crónica) (Cup: Sp. Braga-Pontassolense, 2–1 (match report)) Archived 9 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine; Mais Futebol, 21 January 2007 (in Portuguese)
  8. ^ Derrota amarga em Estocolmo (Bitter loss in Stockholm); UEFA, 21 September 2007 (in Portuguese)
  9. ^ Sp. Braga passa no teste europeu com uma goleada à moda antiga (Sp. Braga pass European test with old-school rout); Público, 5 October 2007 (in Portuguese)
  10. ^ Bairns complete keeper Mallo deal; BBC Sport, 22 January 2009
  11. ^ Rangers 1–0 Falkirk; BBC Sport, 30 May 2009
  12. ^ Rangers 3–0 Falkirk; BBC Sport, 27 January 2009
  13. ^ Hibs drop keeper Mallo interest; BBC Sport, 4 July 2009
  14. ^ Dani Mallo: El muro continua (Dani Mallo: The wall continues); Vavel, 29 June 2012 (in Spanish)
  15. ^ El portero del Girona, Dani Mallo, imbatido en Montilivi (Girona's goalkeeper, Dani Mallo, unbeaten at Montilivi); La Nueva España, 29 September 2012 (in Spanish)
  16. ^ Dani Mallo refuerza la portería del Lugo (Dani Mallo bolsters Lugo goal)); Marca, 5 July 2013 (in Spanish)
  17. ^ Dani Mallo refuerza la portería del Albacete hasta Nochevieja (Dani Mallo bolsters Albacete goal until New Year's Day)); Marca, 1 October 2015 (in Spanish)
  18. ^ Atletico de Kolkata signs three international recruits; The Times of India, 30 June 2016
  19. ^ El campo de fútbol Dani Mallo de Cambre acogerá el II Torneo de tiro con arco (Cambre's Dani Mallo football camp will host II archery tournament); La Opinión A Coruña, 15 August 2013 (in Spanish)

External links edit