Rochdale v Shrewsbury - Match preview

The Derry-born left winger has faced having to relocate amid a global pandemic, get to grips with full-time football having turned fully professional and recover from the manager who brought him to the club being sacked – all while his wedding is on hold, writes Lewis Cox.

Daniels, extremely mature for his 25 years, has taken it all in his stride, however, and has finally found himself a role in Steve Cotterill’s team – albeit in an unfamiliar position at right wing-back.

Although he was the half-time substitute victim in a change of formation in Saturday’s defeat to Fleetwood, the start marked the first time Daniels was selected in back-to-back league games for Salop.

He is aiming for a trio of starts in a week at League One’s bottom club Rochdale tonight. Donald Love’s unfortunate groin injury has seen the former Derry and Glenavon flyer nail down a position in the side and stand-in and assistant boss Aaron Wilbraham has backed manager Steve Cotterill to be able to mould the winger into an attacking, aggressive, dynamic wing-back in the long term.

As well as all the other adjustments in a whirlwind year, the likeable and popular Daniels is learning a new role on the pitch, something of a real challenge.

“I’m learning, that’s the main thing, getting used to a new role is obviously tactically, mentally and physically draining,” said Daniels who, since arriving in Shropshire at the beginning of August last year with clothes for just a week, has not returned home to Northern Ireland.

“But I’m loving every minute, the more minutes I play the better I’ll get and obviously having come in as a left winger, to play wing-back is foreign to me but I like play so I’ll play wherever it is.

“I think (I can add) energy. I’m my own biggest critic. I want to attack, that’s what I’m good at usually. I’m coming off and people are saying ‘he’s done well’, but I’m feeling I haven’t affected the game as much as I usually do because I’m usually in pockets creating.

“It’s a learning curve, balancing defence, attack, energy, when not to use it. It’s quite a demanding role, for me it’s about giving an absolute shift and 100 per cent.

“I’ve learnt it’s more about timing I think, when Charlie Daniels was here I watched him and it’s more about positioning and timing.”

Daniels grew up a Manchester United fan while friends took up Gaelic football and hurling.

He admits he is not obsessed with football nowadays, and enjoys the quiet life and family time with fiancée Hannah and two-year-old daughter Zahra.

His wedding with Hannah will now take place in May, all being well, 12 months later than planned. Daniels has grown to enjoy his new Shrewsbury home, a quiet life which he compares to Derry, with Hannah and Zahra.

He has, however, kept a close eye on one particular and perhaps unlikely Premier League star this season, Leeds United’s Northern Ireland international utility man Stuart Dallas.

Former youth international Daniels added: “For me, players like Stuart Dallas for Northern Ireland, you see what he’s done with Leeds, he’s come over from the same league as me as a winger and has played left-back, right-back, winger, centre-mid, same as me.

“It adds more options to my game. I came over as just a left winger but it’s adding to me and only helping.

“When I look at someone like that, who’s come from the same place and league, as a winger as well, to be able to adapt to so many positions – he’d be my first name on the teamsheet because of where he can play and how effective he is.

“It’s quite good for me to learn from him. Obviously, everybody has a different path. I came over a bit later, but if you can replicate someone’s path it’s perfect, it shows you how much graft he’s done to play in every league, and internationally as well.

“A lot of players from home are inspiring, trying to compare yourself to them is hard, some come over later like Gareth McAuley, everyone’s journey is different.”