DAniel Mantilla arrived at Nacional without much hype or cymbalsother reinforcements arrived with more name and expectation than him, but this 25-year-old began to demonstrate his speed, dribbling and dedication on the field so that the fans were referencing him.
Little is known about his beginnings in football, that’s why THE COLOMBIAN spoke with him about this and other aspects of his life and career.
How it started?
“From a very young age I liked soccer, I am from Bucaramanga and I started in a little school called Nantes Fútbol Club. There I did all the minor divisions up to the sub-20, then they called me from Real Santander and from there I began to play and train with the professional team and there I began my path in football, which has been strong but very satisfying”.
Who instilled this sport in you?
“My dad, who accompanied me everywhere, to training and when he had the opportunity to accompany me on a trip, he also did it from school. I really owe everything to him. that discipline, that faith. He told me to trust a lot in my talent, to persevere and thank God that’s how it was. It is because of him that I have the opportunity to be a professional footballer”.
What was the most difficult in its beginnings?
“From a very young age I was in a school where I left school at almost 4:00 in the afternoon and my training sessions began at that time, so I never managed to be with the team in my category. He would arrive at 5:00 or 6:00 and train with the elders. I had to run to training and it was always like that, not only in school but also in the Santander National Team and that caused weariness in me, because I also came home late and could not do my homework. Now I understand that this discipline helped in my training and to put it into practice in the race”.
Did you ever want to throw in the towel?
“Well, in those moments and due to that wear and tear, above all, a lot happened to me with the Santander National Team, when I was left out of the team for three years. But in those moments I had the voice of encouragement from my parents and my brother, who instilled in me that I should continue training in the same way as if I were still in the National Team and that perseverance and desire gave me more strength, and from then on I stayed in the following calls and I never thought of leaving football again ” .
If you had not been a footballer, what would you have dedicated yourself to?
“Always I liked entrepreneurship, create company. I talk to my brother a lot about it. He is an engineer and he liked this topic a lot. He would be a business administrator, but at the moment I am studying that career and I hope to be able to finish it very soon. I do it virtually at a university in Bucaramanga”.
Besides studying, what do you enjoy in your spare time?
“Going out to eat with my wife in the different cities that I have had the opportunity to be. Also to walk, to know new places. In short, being with the family a lot”.
What advice has marked you in your life?
“Since I was very young, my dad was always by my side in this process of my soccer career and he always instilled in me to trust in my talent despite the difficulties that arose along the way, to never stop believing in me. That has been a piece of advice that came to me a lot and that I practice”.
Who are your idols?
“Since I was a child I saw Ronaldinho’s videos, was a different player on the pitch with his plays, dribbles and passes. From Colombia I always liked James, Juan Fernando Quintero. They are different players, with impressive quality, and now I follow Luis Díaz a lot, because we play in the same position. One takes reference to this class of footballers who have done very well, not only at club level, but also with the National Team”.
He likes music?
“Yes, all varied. I really enjoy vallenatobecause from a very young age my parents and their friends liked it, and here in the team the teammates listen to a lot of salsa and that rubs off on you”.
Any song that marks you?
“More than a song, I like a lot of vallenato songs, especially from Los Diablitos, which is a group that I listen to.”
He has children?
“My wife is pregnant, we are reaching the last months and thank God everything has gone very well, the controls have been excellent and we are very happy.”
Is a boy or a girl?
“It’s a girl and we’re going to call her Sara. We are very happy and very excited about her arrival”.
What dreams do you still have to fulfill in your career?
“A lots of. Obviously getting to Nacional was an achievement, but I want to be champion and we can achieve it because of what the team has shown throughout the semester, the excellent players there are and we are already in the final home runs, with great hope of being able to be in a final, but I have immediate dreams, and now is to be a champion”.
And what about the Colombian National Team?
“That too and many more. Last year I had the opportunity of being in the morphocycle that was made with the players of the League. It was 4 days with the boys and the teacher, and one is left with that desire to be able to continue being summoned, for that we work. You have to do things well at the club, become champions and that gives you the option of being closer to the National Team and one day being able to wear that shirt in an official match”.
What did you feel the first time you were in the full Atanasio?
“It was in a match against Junior, something very exciting, because I had had to have him against, but in that match, with the support of all the people, it was something incredible. We won it and I scored my first goal and the joy was enormous”.
What is Nacional’s great strength in these home runs?
“The union and the atmosphere of this group, the support that all the players give us and the desire to be champions. We push ourselves to the fullest on a day-to-day basis. That makes us a very strong team. There are five very difficult dates left, but with all the confidence and security in the team that there is”.
What most attracts your attention about Nacional?
“Their fans and the affection they have given me, that is very nice and I appreciate it. Also, the city is beautiful, I had already been here when I played in Leones. The atmosphere is incredible and we have to take advantage of this moment”.
What has been your greatest joy?
“Reaching Nacional, because it was a very important step for my career, because it is the most recognized team in Colombia, because of the Cups it has won.”
How has your wife been supportive of your career?
“Ella her name is melisa florezand he has been my unconditional support, he has been at all times, not only in the good ones but also in the most difficult ones, supporting me and giving me advice and I am very grateful for his company”
