David Raya's journey from a nightmare debut at Southport to starting in the Champions League final is a remarkable tale of perseverance. The Arsenal goalkeeper spent the first half of the 2014/15 season on loan at the National League side, arriving as a 19-year-old from Blackburn Rovers.
His first game was a 3-0 defeat at Macclesfield, where he conceded three goals. A couple of weeks later, five goals were put past him. Rob Urwin, a Southport club volunteer and website editor, recalled: 'It was an absolute nightmare. Everybody thought, 'Flippin' eck, what have we got here?''
Raya turned his fortunes around with a stunning performance in an FA Cup third-round tie at Derby County. He made a string of saves to keep Southport in the game before a last-gasp penalty sealed their fate. Urwin described it as 'one of the best goalkeeping performances I've ever seen as a Southport fan.'
After his loan ended, Southport presented Raya with a lifetime membership to their supporters' trust. Urwin said: 'That shows the esteem he was held in. He was very humble.' Raya has since credited his time at Southport for teaching him the realities of football, including washing his own kit.
Raya has maintained ties with the club, recently liking a social media post about Urwin's wife Julia, the retiring club photographer. Urwin added: 'Even now, everyone says it's great to see 'Spanish Dave' doing well. We still think of him as one of ours.'
