Crystal Palace's Colombian Defender: The Evolution of Daniel Muñoz

Crystal Palace enjoyed a late resurgence in the 2023-24 Premier League season after the appointment of Oliver Glasner. In 14 matches, Palace won 7, drew 4, and lost only 3 matches beating Manchester United and Liverpool in the process. Many players benefited from Glasner's style of play, and the right-back Daniel Muñoz was one of them.

He came to Palace in the January transfer window from Genk and played a crucial role for them. In the 2023-24 season, Muñoz started 16 games and provided 4 assists. He created 21 chances, completed 13 dribbles, won 32 tackles, 105 duels, and completed 76 recoveries. He also won the ball 10 times in the final third. One of his best performances came against Manchester United, where he provided 2 assists in a famous 4-0 win for Palace. Let’s take a dive into Muñoz’s journey from Colombia to England.

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Muñoz was born on May 24, 1996, in Amalfi, Antioquia, Colombia. He started his career in the local leagues and then got into the academy of Rionegro Águilas. He developed his skills as a right-back and midfielder. After showing promising signs, Muñoz made his debut for Rionegro Águilas in 2017. He went on to play 94 matches for them between February 2017 and May 2019, establishing himself as the first-choice right back.