David Raya, the Arsenal goalkeeper, is on the cusp of winning the Champions League, nearly eight years after suffering a sickening facial injury. The Spaniard, now 30, will face Paris Saint-Germain in Saturday's final at the Puskas Arena.
Raya's journey to the top has been remarkable, having started his career in non-league with Southport. However, during his time at Blackburn Rovers in 2018, he endured a brutal collision with West Brom's Jay Rodriguez that left him hospitalised and requiring reconstructive surgery on his nose.
The injury caused a dramatic change in his appearance, with fans noting on social media that he looked vastly different compared to his younger days. Commenters described it as a 'glow up', with some joking that he had aged backwards after the surgery. Raya delayed the operation until the end of the season, stating it was not impeding his breathing and he would have been out for six to eight weeks otherwise.
Former Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray described the horror of the incident, saying the players felt sick at what they saw. Rodriguez, now at Wrexham, admitted he felt 'gutted' about his role in the collision. Raya has since come on leaps and bounds, becoming a Premier League champion with Arsenal last week after a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace, and securing his third consecutive Golden Glove award with 19 clean sheets.
On Saturday, Raya and Arsenal aim to become the seventh English team to win the Champions League, capping off a glittering season.
