Daniel George Niculae (; born 6 October 1982) is a former Romanian professional footballer who played mainly as a striker.
He has made 39 appearances for Romania since his debut in 2003.
Club career
Rapid București Daniel Niculae started his professional career at Rapid București in 2000. Despite a period playing for the B team in 2001, Nico proved he is one of the most gifted players of the club, and helped his club to win the championship in the 2002–03 season – his first as a first-team regular.
Niculae was Rapid's leading scorer in the 2004–05 season, with 14 goals – the third highest total in Romania's Liga 1.
In the 2005–06 UEFA Cup campaign, he and Mugurel Buga formed one of the most powerful striker pairs of the competition, with Niculae scoring 8 goals, as Rapid reached the Quarter-Finals of the competition. The season also saw Rapid claim the 2006 Romanian Cup, with Niculae scoring the winning goal in the first minute of extra-time, against Național București.
Auxerre Niculae was transferred to French club AJ Auxerre in the summer of 2006, for €3.3 million. His first season with the club saw him score 4 goals in the UEFA Cup, but he struggled for goals in Ligue 1. However, the following season his form improved, as he scored 11 goals to help keep the club in Ligue 1.
The 2008–09 season was one to forget for Niculae. He was deeply affected by the loss of his father, and despite threatening to score on several occasions, he failed to find the net in 32 games.
Things got back on track in 2009–10 however. Jean Fernandez initially wanted to loan out Niculae for the season, but the latest signing Alexandre Licata was ruled out for most of the season with a serious ankle injury. Daniel Niculae found a new role in the Auxerre side, as a creator of goals rather than a scorer of them. As of April 2010, he lies third in the table for assists in Ligue 1 with a total of 8. He has a brilliant entente with Polish goalscorer Ireneusz Jeleń and has helped the Burgundian side to reach second in the table and to thus push for the Champions League places.
Monaco After the expiration of his contract with AJ Auxerre on 15 June 2010, Niculae signed a three-year deal with Ligue 1 rivals AS Monaco.Daniel Niculae s’engage avec l’AS Monaco FC
On 31 August 2011, Niculae signed for French side AS Nancy on a season-long loan. In a game against his former club, AJ Auxerre, on 30 January 2012, Nicuale scored a double giving his team the win.Niculae dubla Although, before the game started, Auxerre's supporters booed him, at the end he got a standing ovation for his impressive performance.Niculae aplaudat
Kuban Krasnodar On 6 June 2012, he joined the Russian club Kuban Krasnodar, on a two-year contract. Here he will be coached by Yuri Krasnozhan.
International career Niculae won his first international cap for Romania in 2003, but did not become a regular squad member until the 2005–06 season.
He was selected for Romania's Euro 2008 squad, and started his country's first two matches. He came on as a substitute for their final group game against the Netherlands, but could not help Romania to a win, which would have taken the country into the Quarter-Finals.
Other than the fact that they share birthplace, he has no connection with namesake and fellow international Marius Niculae.
Career statistics Club + Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupEuropeOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsRapid București2000–01Divizia A10––––102001–024100–00–412002–0329610–40103562003–0424420–20102942004–05201400–––20142005–0629863–148–4919Total1073393002082013844Electromagnetica București2001–02Divizia B70––––70Auxerre2006–07Ligue 13040020104–4282007–0835112140––41122008–093201020––3502009–103344010––384Total1301971901040015624Monaco2010–11Ligue 11741010––1942011–12Ligue 200–10––10Total17410200000204Nancy (loan)2011–12Ligue 13160000––316Kuban Krasnodar2012–13Russian Premier League11220–––132Rapid București2013–14Liga II157––––157Rapid București2014–15Liga I143––––143Astra Giurgiu2015–16Liga I1921010––2112016–1722621001000000Total418311010000559Rapid București2017–18Liga IV3140––––3140Career total404122225120401220480139
International + Appearances and goals by national team and yearNational teamYearAppsGoalsRomania200310200410200541200671200772200861200911201082201111201230Total399
Scores and results list Romania's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Niculae goal.
+ List of international goals scored by Daniel NiculaeNo.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition1 16 November 2005 Stadionul Steaua, Bucharest, Romania 1–0 3–0 Friendly2 26 May 2006 Soldier Field, Chicago, United States 2–0 2–0 Friendly3 21 November 2007 Stadionul Lia Manoliu, Bucharest, Romania 3–0 6–1 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying4 4–0 5 26 March 2008 Stadionul Steaua, Bucharest, Romania 2–0 3–0 Friendly6 14 November 2009 Stadion Wojska Polskiego, Warsaw, Poland 1–0 1–0 Friendly7 29 May 2010 Ukraina Stadium, Lviv, Ukraine 2–1 2–3 Friendly8 5 June 2010 Jacques Lemans Arena, Sankt Veit an der Glan, Carinthia, Austria 1–0 3–0 Friendly9 11 November 2011 Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Liège, Belgium 1–2 1–2 Friendly
Honours Rapid București Divizia A: 2002–03 Cupa României: 2001–02, 2005–06 Supercupa României: 2002, 2003 Liga IV – Bucharest: 2017–18
Auxerre UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2006
Astra Giurgiu Liga I: 2015–16 Cupa României runner-up: 2016–17 Supercupa României: 2016
References
External links