“N o, no, there’s someone else,” David Raya exclaims, leaping from his seat at Spain’s training camp in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He digs through his wash bag, pulling out his phone and scrolling until he finds the information he needs. “‘… the goalkeeper, who played in yesterday’s match, was at Southport on loan from Oxford United…’ Yeah, Max Crocombe. I think that is right” he continues, reciting: “That time took me where I am now,”s match, was at Southport on loan from Oxford United…’ Yes, Max Crocombe. I think that is right.”
This brings the total to four players who have worn the Southport jersey and later represented their countries in a World Cup: Peter Withe, Stan Mortensen, himself, and now New Zealand’s No. 1.
Raya’s inaugural senior competitive match took place in front of 1,405 spectators at Macclesfield in the Conference, while his last was seen by 61,035 at the Champions League final in Budapest. He becomes only the third individual to transition from non-league football to participating in such a significant club event, with Steve Finnan and Chris Smalling being the others. Just four days after this monumental match, he celebrated with an open-top bus parade alongside the Premier League trophy, joining the ranks of World Cup contenders. He regards these experiences as the highlights of his career.
Nevertheless, those achievements are overshadowed by recent disappointment. “I was with the Under-21s [at Blackburn] and there were no demands, no pressure, no sense that the three points really mattered,” Raya reflects. At 18, he joined Southport. “I told the club I needed minutes in professional football to experience what it means to have to win. I couldn’t go to League One obviously – I didn’t have the level – but going to the fifth tier shaped me.” he recalls. “If you talk to the chairman or anyone else on the board at Southport they would tell you they were thinking: ‘who have we signed here?!’”
The opportunity emerged when Liam Roberts, now at Mansfield, suffered an injury. Initially, things were tough. “I was 18, 19 years old, playing in a league that was so, so physical. I had been used to playing in the Under-21s where it was all on the floor, playing nicely, and suddenly you’re being crashed into by 30, 35-year-old men who instead of going for the ball are going for the goalkeeper. “But once I got used to the league, earned my teammates’ trust, those were the three or four best months of my career in terms of learning.” Raya remembers. “You learn that it’s not as easy as when you are used to things being done for you. It’s people trying to make it to the end of the month. You have teammates who need the win bonus to pay the mortgage. You play midweek, five or six hours away, and they’re up at 6am to go to work. You see the reality, what football is, and it shapes you; you take nothing for granted. And I enjoyed it a lot, a lot – even if they did smack me all over the place. I had black eyes, pain everywhere, but I liked it and I’m so grateful. And here I am.”
“Those at the Champions League final had a few more days, so I got there on the Wednesday night,”
After the season wrapped up, he returned to Blackburn, discovering Crocombe had joined Southport. His path to Ewood Park was uncertain, as he was behind Jason Steele and featured in only five matches the following season. However, he had matured, both mentally and physically.
“I arrived a bit before Fabián [Ruiz]. I was saying hello to some of the others in reception when he arrived. I went to say congratulations; that was almost the first thing I did. I couldn’t really talk [to him] after the final; I just didn’t have it in me. The next day we talked about the game properly. Just two mates chatting … I was happy for him that he could lift the trophy for a second time.”
Just beyond the level crossing where the Chattanooga train travels, nestled among the trees, lies the World Cup base that Spain has established at a prep school, a mere three miles from the city. Training has concluded for the day, and Raya’s teammates are eagerly waiting for him to join them on the golf course before heading back to the hotel near the downtown aquarium. They have spent two weeks together, starting in Las Rozas, northwest of Madrid. If all goes according to plan, they will spend another five weeks together, culminating in New Jersey—a team of former rivals now united.
“The thing is that when you lose a Champions League final, when you get there for the first time in 20 years and then you lose on penalties, it destroys you inside,” Raya recounts. “I left there with my head held high because of the work we had done all year but I was broken inside because we were so, so, so, so close … “ There’s a pause. “You don’t know when you’ll play another one or even if you will play another one,”
“When I went home, I was broken. We stayed [in Budapest] over night and travelled the next morning. That night is very, very hard. The following morning too. [But] then you reach the Emirates stadium, you see the fans and that lifts you. When you come out on the bus with the Premier League trophy and see all the people, what it means to them, you realise what you’ve done. “Personally, those were very, very hard moments but you take a step back and look at it with perspective. You think about the way the club was a few years ago and the way it is now, how each year we got better in the Champions League, how we won the league for the first time in over 20 years … and that gets a smile out of you. That’s when you think next year we can do better, and win the Champions League.” may not entirely capture his feelings. “Why aren’t we talking about David Raya? It’s unbelievable. It’s terrifying.” he confesses. “It’s natural with Joan and Unai being in Spain. I’ve been away a very long time. I remember the first time I came to selección, people asked who I was.”
A moment of silence follows. “The idea never crossed my mind,” Raya adds. “I always wanted to play for Spain and never thought about [England]: I wouldn’t have felt it, I would have felt an outsider. However long I was in England, I feel Spanish.”
“Some look for a debate or a headline, but competition is good,”
He aims to replicate the success of his idol, Iker Casillas, by clinching the World Cup.
Despite being recognized as one of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League and arguably in Europe last season, having secured a Golden Glove for the third consecutive year, Raya did not play in Spain’s opening match against Cape Verde. Nor did Joan Garcia, who was named the best in La Liga. Instead, Athletic Club’s Unai Simón took the starting position. The fact that Simón has held the No. 1 spot for six years has not prevented the ongoing debate surrounding the national team.
This debate has largely centered on Garcia rather than Raya, especially following the latter’s standout performance in this year’s Champions League, which propelled him into the spotlight. Not being associated with Madrid or Barcelona means he lacks the same level of support. On the day he announced his squad, Luis de la Fuente, tired of the ongoing Simón/García discussions, remarked: “I don’t think there was a debate then,” Raya appreciated this support, recognizing that being in England might have contributed to his relative obscurity. “That one is harder, quite honestly,” he muses. “Here, you’re exposed to the world, but you don’t have the pressure of wondering if you’ll make it to the end of the month. Media and public exposure comes with being a footballer and if you’re going to play at this level you have to be ready. I don’t find it difficult. I know I’ll make mistakes. Not everyone is going to like you. I’ll leave the debate for others.”
It’s no exaggeration. Back in March 2022, “Sure, it’s different with goalkeepers: only one can play. But we work together every day and we’re close. We help each other. The position is in very good hands, whoever plays. You come with an open mind, try to help – whatever your role. I’m very competitive but I always respect what the manager asks.” was indeed the headline across several major outlets. After all, he had spent his entire professional career in England since leaving Cornella at 16 and was called up after just 15 top-flight appearances. He could have opted to play for England. “You treat everyone the same way,” he asserts. “When you’re first choice you can’t treat anyone badly; when you are second or third choice you can’t treat anyone badly either. I have a good relationship with Kepa [Arrizabalaga], with Unai, with Tommy Setford, and with Joan, just as I had with [Álex] Remi[ro]. If a teammate’s down, it’s up to you to pick him up. They do the same for you. People say [competing] goalkeepers don’t get on well: I have always got on well with my teammates and I hope I always will. If the atmosphere wasn’t good, it would be very hard to work. “It’s joy to be here. It’s my second World Cup and it’s a dream. I’ve had a successful year at Arsenal: I won my third Golden Glove and the Premier League. When you’re little you think about the World Cup. I was 15 when Spain won it in 2010 and I live this with total happiness and enthusiasm. It’s not every day you can be at a World Cup.”
“Some seek a debate or a headline, but competition is beneficial,” he states. If there’s one word he often returns to, it’s “naturally.” How do you handle the discussion? Naturally. How do you cope with not being the first choice for your country, knowing you could be away for six weeks without playing? Naturally. How do you and your teammates interact, given you’re all competitors? Naturally. He’s experienced it before. Recall the debates surrounding his move to Arsenal, where Aaron Ramsdale was already the established keeper. Even at Southport, he was one of eight goalkeepers.
He chuckles now. “I don’t think there was a debate back then,” he reflects. The scrutiny has evolved, creating a different kind of pressure. “This one is more challenging, to be honest,” Raya admits. “Here, you’re under the world’s gaze, yet you don’t face the pressure of worrying about making ends meet. The media and public attention comes with being a footballer, and if you’re competing at this level, you must be equipped for it. I don’t find it overwhelming. I acknowledge that mistakes will happen. Not everyone will appreciate you. I’ll leave the debates to others.”
“Certainly, it’s distinct for goalkeepers: only one can take the field. But we collaborate daily and maintain a strong bond. We support each other. The position is in capable hands, regardless of who plays. You approach the situation with an open mind and aim to assist – whatever your role may be. I’m fiercely competitive, yet I always respect the manager’s decisions.”
“You must treat everyone equally,” Raya emphasizes. “As the first choice, you can’t treat anyone poorly; as the second or third choice, you must maintain that respect as well. I have good relationships with Kepa [Arrizabalaga], Unai, Tommy Setford, and Joan, just as I did with [Álex] Remiro. If a teammate is feeling down, it’s your responsibility to lift them up. They do the same for you. People often claim that competing goalkeepers don’t get along, but I have always had positive relationships with my teammates, and I hope to continue this. If the atmosphere is not good, working becomes incredibly difficult.”
“It’s a joy to be here. This is my second World Cup, and it’s a dream come true. I’ve had a successful year at Arsenal: I won my third Golden Glove and the Premier League. As a child, I dreamed about the World Cup. I was 15 when Spain clinched the title in 2010, and I approach this with immense happiness and enthusiasm. Opportunities to participate in a World Cup don’t come every day.”
Not everyone has that privilege, especially considering his journey starting at Southport. But here he stands, David Raya. “And Max Crocombe,” he adds.
