There are not too many cases in today's football like that of Dani Vivian (Vitoria, 24 years old), a central defender of an old stamp, 1.84 tall and plenty of lungs, but, above all, character. That is why there are not many like him who, at the age of 20, playing on loan for Mirandés, in the Second Division, was captain. It takes a lot of personality to hold such a significant position. In Anduva he became one of the references of the locker room, and in San Mamés he begins to be one as well. He has the makings of a leader, and he recognizes it. “Yes, besides I think I have to do it. I feel comfortable. There always have to be players who assume that role and I like it,” he commented in an interview.
He has plenty of personality. He already demonstrated it when he played for Ariznabarra, an Alava team, and decided to request a trial in the Santutxu youth team, the Bilbao team led by Ibai Gómez, recently appointed Olympic coach of the Dominican Republic. “When he trained him he came from Vitoria and did not miss a single day. Even though he was injured, he came alone to be with the team and returned to Vitoria.” Vivian considered that Biscayan football had a higher level. He passed the test, and the following year he was already at Basconia, Athletic's subsidiary in the Third Division. He was 17 years old.
He himself remembered it in a motivational talk to a group of young people. He got on stage with microphone in hand: “I first studied high school from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., I ate and then took the bus to Bilbao and the metro to Santutxu, I trained and came back.” And he added: “I got home around ten and had to study; There were very hard days, and I'm not saying one or two,” but, “you see that you can do it and you do it, and the next day the same thing, but for that you need order and organization.”
At the age of 18 he played some games with the reserve team and was even called up by Ziganda on the last day of the League with Athletic. The following season, with many injuries, he played little and then left for Miranda. When he returned, Marcelino counted on him along with Iñigo Martínez in the center of the defense, due to Yerai's injury. He is now the reference among the center backs, in a defense that concedes very little. A leader at 24 years old. “Seniority does not always imply leadership. “Everyone has their own personality,” he says. “He is the total prototype of a captain,” says Ibai Gómez. They told him in an interview in the newspaper Deia He seemed very sure of himself. He was forceful in his response: “If I am not convinced I will not be able to convince anyone.”
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