Our graduating student Dániel Kecskés has been offered a fantastic opportunity. He will continue his career with the team of MOL-Pick Szeged next season. The club in the Champions League took notice of our talented right-wing last summer, as he participated in the World Junior Championships as well as in the World Youth Championships, the latter bringing him a 5th place finish with the Hungarian youth national team. Kecskés has also made it into the All-Star team. Him, as an 18-year old NEKA player could sign a two plus one-year contract with Pick Szeged.

Dániel Kecskés joined the National Handball Academy (NEKA) in Balatonboglár in August 2016. The talented handball player has excelled not only in NEKA teams but has also performed well in the various national teams of different age groups in recent years. In the 2019/2020 season, he participated in the NB I/B and the youth championships in the team of László Sótonyi; his ratio of 164 goals scored in 32 matches speaks for itself.

Kecskés who is graduating from secondary school this year would have liked to have tried his luck abroad, but due to the pandemic, the trials could not be held, thus for professional reasons he has chosen one of the best domestic clubs, and he was happy to do so.

“It is a great honour for me to be able to play for the Pick Szeged team.

When I had received the first phone call, I suddenly didn’t even believe it was happening, I’m very proud to be given a chance and I will do my best to show what I am capable of.

Since I do not have a manager, I listened primarily to the advice of my coaches before making a decision. In addition to László Sótonyi, Zsolt Kopornyik also helped me a lot. They both suggested for me to keep my head clean, to remain focused, to be attentive and to take the chance. I am sure that I can improve a lot, it is an incredible feeling that the players I have admired so far will now be my teammates”, told Dániel Kecskés our website.

According to László Sótonyi, working with one of the best coaches in the world, Juan Carlos Pastor, and two world-class players on the wings, Bogdan Radivojevic and Mario Sostaric, Dani can really learn a lot.

“I know he is highly motivated to jump into it, and that he has a long way to go, but he’ll have two players on the wing in the same position who are among the best in the world. I trust he can get himself a good amount of playing minutes, as many as possible. There will be no problem with his motivation, nor with getting into the task with maximum intensity.

The bar will be high, letting it loose will not be an option, Dani needs to pay full attention to prove his capabilities in this environment, to live up to it both from a professional and a human perspective”

 – drew László Sótonyi our attention to the most important points.

Zsolt Kopornyik has also known Dániel Kecskés and his family for many years, since in 2015 they came upon his invitation to Balmazújváros from Tiszavasvári, and then they moved on to NEKA together.

“I used to be his coach for several years; I know Dani well. Already as a kid he had it in him, and he needs big challenges to perform. He knows his goals, he can jump that hurdle, but it is all up to him. I think at the moment self-discipline and patience is the most important thing, no matter how many opportunities you get, you have to live with that and take the chance, you will be able to move forward gradually. Krisztián Kárpáti also worked with him as a youth national team coach, and I am sure that he will keep an eye on Dani and pay attention to him as the professional director of the Szeged Academy.

For Dániel, a former student of NEKA, named Csenge Fodor, could be the example to follow, who, thanks to her diligence and perseverance, joined the first team of Audi ETO in Győr and has been able to prove herself in the Champions League for years now”, concluded Zsolt Kopornyik.