Dani Jiménez, a Lebrijano guardian in Santo Domingo

“San Dani Jiménez!”, “First Class goalkeeper!”, “Dani always saving the team” … These comments were repeated on social networks among Alcorcón fans over and over again as they watched their goalkeeper perform against Sporting. Jiménez had a dozen spectacular interventions that kept Alcorcón in the game until the end. But the anthological performance in Asturian lands this weekend was one more. Dani Jiménez has had two or three implausible stops in every game for years. Alcorcón, a modest and bottom team in the category, has one of the best goalkeepers in the Second Division. Perfect in collation, outstanding in one on one and with great reflections.

Born in Lebrija in 1990, Dani Jiménez is a tireless but silent worker. He does not fuss, does not attract attention and when praised, almost unintentionally, he lowers his gaze a bit with a shyness that hides a leader’s personality. And it is that Dani Jiménez has shone with its own light for years, but it has not been an easy road.

He arrived at Alcorcón in 2015/16 from Huesca and after playing 44 games with Huesca. However, in Alcorcón, during the first three seasons he had to be a substitute for Dmitrovic, now at Sevilla and Casto. Three years in which he played less than twenty games between the League and the Cup. Every time he went out he did well. But it was his turn to go back to the bench and work quietly at each workout. Everything began to change on May 20, 2018 in an Alcorcón-Rayo Vallecano. Dani replaced Casto at the quarter of an hour and stopped a penalty from Raúl De Tomás. He had a great game. Alcorcón ended up winning 4-0 in what was a key victory for permanence. In the last four seasons he has played 118 games with Alcorcón between the League and the Cup. Impossible to count the points that Alcorcón has achieved thanks to Dani. Last September, his good work earned him the renovation until 2024 with the potters.

He is one of the team captains and the leaders of the dressing room. Dani is humility, honesty, effort, respect, education and something very strange … normality. Without a doubt, for the fans, he is one of the referents and the most beloved players for his close relationship with the pottery parish, especially with the little ones. Dani is an emblem on and off the field. He started playing goalkeeper almost by chance, when his grandfather took him to play one day and the goal required him almost like a magnet. For Dani his grandfather is an essential person in his life. Now he watches his grandson’s games from heaven since he passed away in 2003. It is not easy for Dani not to get excited when he talks about his grandfather because as he has repeated on several occasions “Where I am I owe it to him”. His grandfather always accompanied him because his parents could not. We are sure that from above his grandfather’s chest swells with pride to see the great goalkeeper he has become and, most importantly, the person of great values ​​that the smallest of Alcorcón look to as an example.