The main reason Daniel is leaving is due to lack of playing time, not the money!!!! He wants to play for the All Whites and also wants more playing time, so cant blame him for leaving. He is sick of coming on as an injury replacement or for the las 10 mins - Source is a good friend of Daniel.
I would be too if I was in his position, and to be honest, he's been playing better this season than Leo has been.
Such a shame.
As bwtcf says he's not gone yet. Let's see how it plays out before delivering eulogies.
Personally I do find it baffling that Daniel hasn't been used more because he is far and away the best crosser and dead ball deliverer we have, and I think overall has looked consistently more dangerous and creative than Sanchez who is clearly uncomfortable with that wide role.
On the other hand no one knows Daniel better than the coach. We all know Daniel's as slow as a wet week and that he has 70 minutes in him tops. Perhaps Ricki doesn't think he has the hunger to force himself into the line up. Perhaps he's not a great trainer. Who knows. At the end of the day it's up to Ricki to make the tough selection decisions.
The unflattering comparison that quite a few people make with Leo is interesting. Much as I love Daniel, the difference between the two is that Leo will run his guts out for 90 minutes and do the kind of defensive chasing and tracking back that generally goes completely unnoticed.