David Raya’s career path began in Spain’s youth system and moved to England through a club partnership that sent young Spanish players to Blackburn for trials. After joining Southport on loan from Blackburn, he played in non-league football, including a 3-0 defeat to Macclesfield in 2014. At age 30, he is set to become only the third player to progress from non-league football to the Champions League final stage. His journey mirrors other notable examples such as Steve Finnan and Chris Smalling, who also reached major European finals after lower-league beginnings. Raya’s rise has been difficult to predict, even for those who saw his early development.
"Raya fastens his gloves and breathes out. But this is not the Champions League final. This is Moss Rose, home of National League side Macclesfield Town and a teenage Spanish goalkeeper is embarking on a journey that will lead him to the biggest stage in European football. In front of fewer than 1,500 spectators, Raya was part of a Southport side beaten 3-0 by Macclesfield in September 2014."
"Now aged 30, he is set to become only the third person to make the journey from non-league football to the pinnacle of Europe's biggest club competition when Arsenal face holders Paris St-Germain on Saturday as they try to win their first Champions League title. Raya will join Steve Finnan and Chris Smalling in achieving that feat."
"Even people who have witnessed the journey from a 19-year-old making his first-team breakthrough - after joining Southport on loan from Blackburn Rovers - have struggled to envision Raya's rise. Paul Carden, Southport's former assistant manager, said: "I don't think anybody could have predicted or scripted it. You wouldn't be 100% surprised, but you wouldn't have put a bet on him.""
"What makes Raya's journey so unique is that until he was 16 he was playing in the youth teams of Cornella, a Third Division club based on the outskirts of Barcelona. But he would swap the small commuter district for Blackburn because the two clubs had a partnership which involved young Spanish footballers travelling to the Lancashire club for trials. By the time Raya left his home town, he wasn't a starting goalkeeper for the academy."
Read at www.bbc.com
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