Daniel Penha
Daniel Penha | |
|---|---|
| Born | Daniel dos Santos Penha October 17, 1998 Brasília, Brazil |
| Occupation | Professional footballer |
| Years active | 2017– |
| Known for | Attacking midfielder for Dalian Yingbo (on loan from Atlético Mineiro) |
Daniel dos Santos Penha (born 17 October 1998), widely recognized as Daniel Penha, is a Brazilian professional footballer who operates as an attacking midfielder. He is currently on loan at Chinese Super League side Dalian Yingbo from the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Atlético Mineiro.
Atlético Mineiro
Hailing from Brasília, Daniel Penha started his football journey with Atlético Mineiro in 2015, initially joining their under-17 squad and swiftly progressing through the youth ranks. He was first named on the senior team’s bench in November 2016 but did not feature on the field. Penha’s professional debut came on 9 April 2017 during the Campeonato Mineiro, although a knee injury sidelined him for the majority of the 2018 campaign.
On 16 January 2019, he secured a professional contract with Atlético Mineiro extending through to 2023. Shortly thereafter, he rejoined the first team and participated in several matches during the 2019 Campeonato Mineiro. Throughout various loan periods, Atlético Mineiro renewed his contract twice, retaining his registration while he accumulated experience at different clubs.
Loan spells within Brazil
On 5 October 2019, Daniel Penha was loaned out to CRB for the remainder of that season. He made his debut as a substitute in a 1–0 defeat against Guarani on 12 October 2019, appearing twice before returning to Atlético Mineiro.
Following a trial period, Penha joined Coimbra on loan on 13 January 2020. He made his first appearance in a goalless draw versus Atlético Mineiro on 30 January 2020. The season was curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, restricting him to six matches before he returned to his parent club.
On 7 July 2020, after training with them, Penha was loaned to Sampaio Corrêa. He started in a 1–0 victory over Imperatriz on 1 August and recorded his inaugural professional goal alongside an assist in a commanding 5–1 triumph against Juventude, contributing to the team’s progression in the Campeonato Maranhense. His displays garnered acclaim from both media outlets and the club itself. After contracting COVID-19, he missed one fixture but returned as a substitute during a 2–1 defeat to Ponte Preta on 30 August. On 14 October, he assisted a goal in Sampaio Corrêa’s 3–0 win over Figueirense. The club ended his loan spell on 27 October; across eight appearances, he scored once. Soon after, he had a short stint with Corinthians, where he did not feature for the first team.
Penha moved from Corinthians to Bahia on loan on 1 February 2021. He made his debut in a 2–1 loss to Juazeirense and netted his first goal for Bahia in a subsequent 2–0 victory over Doce Mel. Primarily deployed as a left winger, he became involved regularly with Bahia’s starting lineup. His loan concluded on 25 May after tallying twelve appearances and one goal.
The following day, Penha was loaned to Confiança. On his debut for Confiança, he scored in a 3–1 win against Cruzeiro on 29 May. Serving mostly as a starter, he alternated between midfield and wing positions. Between 10 and 14 July, he found the net twice against opponents Vitória and Avaí. His loan was cut short on 16 August, leading to his return to Atlético Mineiro after making eighteen appearances and scoring two goals across all competitions.
Loan period at Newcastle Jets
On 20 August 2021, Daniel Penha embarked on his first international venture by joining the A-League Men club Newcastle Jets on a loan deal for the 2021–22 season. He marked his debut by scoring in a 2–1 defeat to Western United during the FFA Cup seventh round. Quickly becoming an essential figure in the attacking midfield role, Penha contributed both goals and assists, notably providing two assists in a 2–2 draw against Sydney FC and delivering a goal along with an assist in a 4–0 victory over Wellington Phoenix.
Penha netted his second league goal on 9 March 2022 and assisted once more in a narrow 3–2 loss to Wellington Phoenix. Although he was shown a red card on 30 March, resulting in a one-match ban, his performances earned him the Newcastle Jets’ Player of the Month award for March. Upon returning from suspension, he scored twice in a commanding 6–1 triumph over Perth Glory but was later dismissed again on 23 April, which led to a two-game suspension. He made his comeback in the season’s final fixture, a 2–0 defeat to Central Coast Mariners.
On 12 May 2022, Penha scored his sixth goal during a 3–1 Australia Cup preliminary victory against Perth Glory and was subsequently chosen for the A-League All-Stars squad. He concluded the campaign with 25 appearances, six goals, and topped the club’s assist chart with 11. His achievements included receiving Newcastle Jets’ Men’s Goal of the Year accolade and being honored as PFA Footballer of the Year.
Although there was speculation about extending his loan, Penha announced his exit from Newcastle Jets on 23 June 2022. The Roar commended him as an exceptional talent recognized for his expertise in set-pieces, accurate distribution, inventive playmaking, and relentless pressing, emphasizing his significant influence on the team’s attacking style.
Loan period at Daegu FC
Daniel Penha joined Daegu FC in South Korea on 6 July 2022, sporting the number 70 jersey. He made his first appearance on 16 July 2022 in a 2–1 loss versus FC Seoul and recorded his inaugural goal during a 2–2 draw with Suwon FC. Unfortunately, a cruciate ligament injury curtailed his contributions, limiting him to just 10 matches and one goal. On 30 June 2023, Daegu FC confirmed his departure from the club.
Loan period at Western United
On 19 July 2023, Penha returned to Australia by signing on loan with Western United. Following approximately one month of injury recovery, he debuted in a 3–0 Australian Cup quarter-final defeat against Sydney FC. Quickly establishing himself as a regular winger, Penha scored his first goal for Western United from the penalty spot during a 2–1 victory over Brisbane Roar on 15 December 2023. He then registered a brace in a thrilling 3–3 draw against Macarthur FC on 12 January 2024 and added two more goals in matches against former side Newcastle Jets and Melbourne Victory throughout February.
An ankle injury sustained while celebrating sidelined him briefly; however, he returned to action on 2 March 2024. Penha continued scoring in subsequent fixtures until a groin injury sustained on 6 April 2024 prematurely ended his season. He wrapped up with a total of 23 appearances and seven goals across all competitions.
Initially named for the A-League All-Stars team for the second occasion, he withdrew citing "personal reasons." During his stint at Western United, Penha garnered several honors including Player of the Season, Golden Boot, Fans’ Goals of the Season, and Club Person of the Season awards. On 12 July 2024, it was announced that he would depart Western United to return to Brazil.
Loan period at Nacional
On 15 July 2024, Daniel Penha was sent on loan to Primeira Liga side Nacional for the duration of the 2024–25 season. He made his first appearance by coming off the bench in the 58th minute during a 1–1 draw against AVS in the opening match of the season. Penha netted his inaugural goal for Nacional on 1 September 2024, contributing to a 2–0 triumph which marked the club’s initial victory that season.
Loan period at Dalian Yingbo
On 7 July 2025, Penha embarked on a one-year loan move to Chinese Super League outfit Dalian Yingbo.
Personal life
Daniel Penha is married, and his wife is currently undergoing treatment for cancer. In April 2024, he publicly expressed a desire to represent the Australia national team.
Club
| Club | Season | League | State League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Atlético Mineiro | 2016 | Série A | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2019 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | |||
| CRB (loan) | 2019 | Série B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Coimbra (loan) | 2020 | Mineiro | — | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | 6 | 0 | ||||
| Sampaio Corrêa (loan) | 2020 | Série B | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 1 | ||
| Bahia (loan) | 2021 | Série A | — | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 12 | 1 | |
| Confiança (loan) | 2021 | Série B | 18 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 18 | 3 | ||||
| Newcastle Jets (loan) | 2021–22 | A-League | 23 | 4 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | 25 | 6 | |||
| Daegu FC (loan) | 2022 | K League 1 | 10 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | — | 11 | 1 | ||
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 10 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 11 | 1 | ||||
| Western United (loan) | 2023–24 | A-League | 22 | 7 | — | 1 | 0 | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) | 23 | 7 | |
Honours
- Atlético Mineiro
- Campeonato Mineiro: 2017
- Sampaio Corrêa
- Campeonato Maranhense: 2020
- Bahia
- Copa do Nordeste: 2021
- Individual Achievements
- A-Leagues All Star: 2022
- PFA A-League Men Team of the Season: 2021–22
References
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- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1998 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Brasília
- Brazilian men's footballers
- Men's association football midfielders
- Brazil men's under-20 international footballers
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série B players
- A-League Men players
- A-League Men All-Stars
- K League 1 players
- Primeira Liga players
- Clube Atlético Mineiro players
- Clube de Regatas Brasil players
- Coimbra Sports players
- Sampaio Corrêa Futebol Clube players
- Sport Club Corinthians Paulista players
- Esporte Clube Bahia players
- Associação Desportiva Confiança players
- Newcastle Jets FC players
- Daegu FC players
- Western United FC players
- C.D. Nacional players
- Dalian Yingbo F.C. players
- Brazilian expatriate men's footballers
- Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Australia
- Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in South Korea
- Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
- Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in China
- Expatriate men's soccer players in Australia
- Expatriate men's footballers in South Korea
- Expatriate men's footballers in Portugal
- Expatriate men's footballers in China
- 21st-century Brazilian sportsmen
- Pages with reference errors