Daniel Niculae

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…

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.

Club

International

Scores and results list Romania's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Niculae goal.

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