Before making his mark in the Premier League, Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya sustained a gruesome nose injury during his time at Blackburn Rovers. The Gunners shot-stopper was born in Barcelona but made a bold move to England in 2012, joining Blackburn Rovers at just 16 years old to pursue his footballing dream. David Raya sustained a painful and serious nose injury during his early career, highlighting the physical challenges he faced on his path to the top. After gaining valuable experience during a loan spell at Southport in the National League, Raya cemented his place as Blackburn’s first-choice goalkeeper five years later, before earning a move to Brentford two years after that. It was during his time at Blackburn that the 24-year-old suffered a serious injury, which left him hopsitalised.
What really happened to Raya? In a match against West Brom at the Hawthorns, Raya was involved in a heavy collision with striker Jay Rodriguez, which resulted in him being taken to hospital for treatment. The Spanish goalkeeper had to be given oxygen on the pitch before being rushed to a nearby hospital for further medical attention. Blackburn manager confirmed Rayas injury While speaking to BBC Sports, the then Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray highlighted the extent of the injury, revealing that the bone at the top of Raya’s nose was almost driven into his skull. ‘The players were feeling sick with what they saw.’ “He’s in hospital — the bone at the top of his nose has almost been pushed into his skull, and his nose is practically hanging off. It was so bad the players couldn’t even look at it,” said the manager. Rodriguez reaction after the collision.
Rodriguez expressed his concern after the incident, wishing Raya a swift recovery and telling BBC Sport he felt gutted, explaining that although he tried to avoid the collision, he accidentally caught the goalkeeper with the top of his foot. “It’s horrible to see something like that happen,” Rodriguez said. “I was chasing the ball and tried to avoid him, but unfortunately I caught him with the top of my foot. I’ve heard he’s been taken to hospital, and I feel really bad about it.” Blackburn Rovers’ David Raya celebrates his side’s first goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers. Raya reflects on painful nose injury setback In November 2018, Raya reflected on the frightening collision during an interview with the Lancashire Telegraph.
He revealed that, although the injury had altered the appearance of his nose, it wasn’t affecting his breathing. Raya explained that undergoing surgery mid-season would have sidelined him for six to eight weeks, which influenced his decision to delay the procedure. “It doesn’t affect my breathing, but if I decided to have surgery now, I’d be sidelined for six to eight weeks,” Raya said. “I think it’s the right decision to wait, even though my nose isn’t the same. “It’s one of those things that can happen to anyone — even from a header to a centre-back — so it’s not going to change the way I play,” Raya said.
by Gedion Nzyoki
