Daniel joined his local club
Hull City on schoolboy forms in 1969, becoming an apprentice in 1971, and finally turning professional in September 1973. He played five seasons at
Boothferry Park in the Second Division. He played seven times for the
England Under 21 side while with Hull, making his debut on 27 April 1977 in a 1–0 win over
Scotland U21 at
Bramall Lane. In May 1978, he was transferred to
First Division Wolverhampton Wanderers for a fee of £182,000. Here, he was converted from a full-back into a defensive midfielder and won a
League Cup winners' medal in 1980, gaining an assist in the goal that defeated
Nottingham Forest. In total, he made 194 appearances for the Midlands club, scoring 16 times. In May 1984, he moved to
NASL side
Minnesota Strikers, returning to England in August that year, costing
Sunderland £15,000. He played in the
1985 League Cup Final for Sunderland, this time picking up a runners-up medal. In November 1985, Daniel moved to
Lincoln City and was appointed player-manager in March 1987. He failed to stop Lincoln sliding down the
Fourth Division, with the club becoming the first to suffer automatic relegation to the
Conference at the end of season after losing their last game away to
Swansea City. Lincoln had been in seventh place and in a play-off position in the previous January. He resigned in May 1987 and in July that year joined
Burnley as a player. Whilst at Burnley he played against his former club Wolves in the
1988 Football League Trophy Final at
Wembley, collecting a runners up medal. He left Burnley and league football in 1989, joining
North Ferriby United. ==Non-league management==