Daniel is an experienced football writer and editor, having worked in the football media industry for over a decade.
After voluntarily writing for Fresh Press for two years, helping to build and establish the Read brand, Daniel started a part-time job with Fresh Press that later turned into a full-time writing and editing role, writing for club-specific pages such as Read Norwich, Read Celtic, Read Liverpool, and Read Arsenal.
Daniel spent just shy of a year writing and editing for Liverpool-based website, Anfield Watch, which included conducting and/or transcribing interviews with Liverpool goalkeeping coach John Achterberg, former Wycombe striker Adebayo Akinfenwa, and journalist Fabrizio Romano.
Since the summer of 2021, Daniel has worked for Snack Media (now Valnet) and has been a contributor to Football FanCast, on a freelance and full-time basis, as a writer and editor.
Daniel is a Norwich City fan and season ticket holder. He has been heard on BBC Norfolk and helped DAZN with research for their commentary due to his knowledge of the club, along with being featured in several local papers across the country, including the Coventry Telegraph and the Liverpool Echo, for Norwich-related content.
Daniel's knowledge extends to Scottish football, having covered Celtic and Rangers for several years. He particularly enjoys producing player analysis and producing transfer content.
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Roberto De Zerbi's Tottenham Hotspur were hit with a double blow in their battle to avoid a relegation from the Premier League on Saturday.
Not only did West Ham United's last-gasp winner against Everton mean that the Lilywhites remain in the bottom three and have not closed any gap to 17th, but they also lost Xavi Simons and Dominic Solanke to injuries.
Both players suffered injury issues in the 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, as Solanke came off with a muscular injury in the 40th minute of the game.
After the match, De Zerbi claimed that it was "not a big problem" for the England international, but could not reveal how long the striker will be out of action for.
Xavi, meanwhile, had to be stretchered off the pitch in the second half with a knee injury and Spurs are now sweating on his availability for the rest of this season.
What Roberto De Zerbi has said about Xavi Simons injury for Spurs
Just a week after the Dutchman scored a stunning goal against Brighton & Hove Albion, the £52m signing from RB Leipzig could be facing a spell on the sidelines.
After the match, De Zerbi spoke to the media about the Netherlands international's situation and was unable to give much away because it had only just happened.
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The Italian boss said: “It's a problem with his knee. We will see in the next few days. I would like to know more about Xavi because you know the knee. He felt pain, but now I spoke with him and he feels better than when he got his injury.”
Xavi will have to get scanned to assess the severity of the injury and it remains to be seen whether or not he will be able to play a part in the last four games of the relegation battle. If the Dutch attacker is ruled out for a period of time, De Zerbi does have a player at his disposal who could slot in as the perfect replacement for him.
The Spurs star who should replace Xavi Simons
The Italian head coach could unleash his own version of Luka Modric, who was a technical wizard for the Lilywhites, by replacing Xavi with a star who is yet to make an appearance this season. James Maddison has been an unused substitute for the past two games after coming back from an ACL injury, and this latest blow could fast track his return to the team. As long as the medical team deem that it is safe enough to do so, De Zerbi should unleash the England international in Xavi's position coming in off the left flank in the 4-2-3-1 formation.
In the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, Maddison proved his quality at the top end of the pitch with a return of nine goals and seven assists in 21 starts for Ange Postecoglou. The former Leicester and Norwich star never had the chance to play under Thomas Frank or Igor Tudor, because of his ACL injury, but he may have returned in time to fire De Zerbi's team to safety. Like Modric, Maddison is a technically brilliant attacking or central midfield player who can be the heartbeat of the team in possession, constantly looking to get on the ball to make things happen at the top end of the pitch. The Croatian star registered 24 assists in 160 games for the club during his time in North London, whilst Maddison has assisted 21 goals in 75 matches for Spurs. Tottenham's English playmaker has the creative quality to be a Modric-esque player for De Zerbi, and his quality in the final third could fire Spurs to the points they need to avoid the drop. No current Spurs midfielder has scored more than four goals or delivered more than five assists, whilst Maddison registered nine goals and seven assists in the division last term, which suggests that the newly-fit star would be a big upgrade on the manager's current options. If the 29-year-old talent is available to start games and play meaningful minutes in the coming weeks, De Zerbi must unleash him as Xavi's replacement.
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