DAVID WAS OUR RAYA OF LIGHT!

As a modern goalkeeper with unconventional attributes, David Raya has always stood out from the crowd.

- Sean Cole

And it was no different for the current Arsenal stopper during the loan spell at Southport that launched his career.

When Gary Brabin returned to the Sandgrounders as manager in October 2014, he knew he was working with a special talent.

“I remember being blown away by how agile he was,” Brabin said of the Spaniard. “I was really impressed with him. I like my goalies to be good with their feet and he was excellent. He kept on backing it up with good performances in games.

“At the time, I was coming out publicly and saying, ‘He’s a top keeper. He’ll play in the Premier League and he’ll play for Spain.’ People must have thought I was losing the plot, but I rated him that highly.”

Raya arrived at Southport just a couple of weeks before Brabin was appointed. The 19-year-old had just signed his first professional contract with Blackburn Rovers but had no senior appearances to call on. It wasn’t an obvious transfer target for a side struggling in the fifth tier.

“The profile of David probably wouldn’t have been appealing, especially for a Non-League club, so it was quite a risk really,” admits Brabin. “But when you’re working with players, you see their qualities more and he was certainly one that really impressed me. I knew he was a lot better than that level. I could see straightaway the potential he had.”