Very few Israeli athletes have managed to fulfill the dream of reaching the peak of their professional career, and those who have done so by age 23 can perhaps be counted on one hand. From this perspective, goalkeeper and soccer player Daniel Peretz is among the few in the profession who managed to fulfill a double fantasy at such a young age: to play for one of the most prestigious soccer clubs in the world alongside the player he idolized in his childhood, and to star for the Israeli national team in international tournaments.
“Reaching the senior team of Maccabi Tel Aviv was my dream since a young age”, Peretz tells Forbes Israel, “And of course the move I made to Bayern Munich was the biggest dream. To collaborate with my idol, Manuel Neuer, is amazing”.
Peretz is currently considered one of the greatest talents produced by Israeli soccer in recent decades, certainly when it comes to the goalkeeper position. And for anyone who had any doubt at the beginning, the past year – during which he scored several precedents and historical achievements – silenced the few critics (if there were any), and provided another stamp for the great potential talent hidden in him and the bright future still expected for him.
Israel qualified for the European Under-21 Championship after a nerve-wracking game against strong Ireland, in which Peretz starred in goal and was chosen as the man of the match after saving three penalties in the decisive stage and scoring himself the important penalty shot that took the team to the prestigious tournament. In the tournament itself, the team led by him recorded one of the greatest achievements in the history of Israeli soccer – advancing to the semi-finals and securing a historic ticket to the Olympic Games, for the first time since 1976. Peretz was the standout in the team, with the goalkeeping display he showed during the games – especially against Germany in the group stage (saving two penalties) and against Georgia in the quarter-finals – leading Israel to place among the top 4 in Europe.
His phenomenal ability did not escape the eyes of German talent scouts who rushed to sign the young goalkeeper to a five-year contract for 6 million euros, with the German top club, Bayern Munich.
Currently, Peretz is the only Israeli playing for the European-German prestigious club. “The signing with Bayern and the debut appearance in the team, alongside the qualification for the European Championship tournament with the Olympic national team, reaching the semi-finals in the Euro and qualifying for the Olympics – these are undoubtedly my career highlights”, he says.
But the talented goalkeeper is of course not satisfied with what he has achieved so far at such a young age. “I still have many dreams and goals I want to achieve, and I will chase after them exactly according to the same values and tools that caused me to reach and achieve what I have achieved to date. Hard work, self-belief, patience and great sacrifice – that’s what you need to do to fulfill yourself and your dreams”.
