Dani Vivian Rodríguez was born on 5 July 1999 in Bermeo, a fishing village on the coast of Biscay in the Basque Country, Spain. He came through the famed Athletic Club academy, Lezama, and after a loan spell at Amorebieta in the Spanish second tier he became a fixture in Athletic's first team from the 2021-22 season onwards, establishing himself as one of La Liga's most composed young centre-backs.
At Athletic Club he has been a pillar of a club that operates under the unique rule of only fielding players of Basque origin — a policy that makes every senior player a symbol of the region's footballing identity. He helped Athletic win the 2023-24 Copa del Rey, ending a forty-year wait for the title, and has been one of the most consistent performers in Ernesto Valverde's backline across multiple seasons.
In the 2024-25 campaign he continued to be a cornerstone of Athletic's defensive structure, demonstrating the aerial dominance, left-sided distribution and composure under pressure that have made him one of the most sought-after defenders in Spain. His reading of the game and ability to play out from the back fit naturally into the high-possession football that the national team demands.
For Spain he debuted in 2023 and was part of the squad that won UEFA Euro 2024 in Germany. Though his appearances were limited during the tournament, his inclusion in the final squad represented recognition of his rise to the top tier of Spanish defenders, and he remains a key option for the 2026 World Cup.
Standing 1.86 m, Vivian is a left-footed centre-back — a genuine rarity in Spanish football — whose composure, aerial ability and technical distribution have drawn comparisons with a younger Sergio Ramos in terms of positional dominance and leadership under pressure. He is one of the finest products of Athletic Club's Lezama academy in recent years.