Latest news with #DavidRaya
The Sun
an hour ago
- General
- The Sun
‘That's where I hit rock bottom' – David Raya reveals Arsenal career changed overnight following TWO-HOUR meeting
DAVID RAYA has opened up on the lowest point of his Arsenal career in an honest interview with former England goalkeeper Ben Foster. Raya, 29, has been one of the Premier League 's top shot-stoppers since his move to North London, winning consecutive Golden Glove awards in between the sticks at the Emirates Stadium. 4 But the Spaniard revealed that it hasn't always been easy, explaining that a poor game against Luton Town last season made him hit "rock bottom". Even though Arsenal won the game 4-3, thanks to a late Declan Rice header, Raya was left feeling that his performance was the worst of his career - shipping three goals against the newly promoted outfit. He told Fozcast: "It was a turning point against Luton. That game was one of the worst games I ever played and that's where I hit rock bottom. "From there, the only way was up with changing my habits and trying to change my mindset. "From that game, I said, 'Listen, this is not me.' I think there's been a massive change from there." For Raya, that meant setting up an almost immediate meeting with Gunners goalkeeper coach Inaki Cana to pinpoint what was going wrong and fix it. He added: "I met with the goalie coach after the game at the training round and we were there for two hours, talking about things that we could change. "He helped me a lot in that situation and he just believed in me. We had to change things. 4 4 "[I was] working with him, working with a sports psychologist and relying on my missus and my family to try to help me as much as possible. That's when I started feeling better. Raya was battling with outside noise about his arrival when he first joined the Gunners, with many fans questioning if he was a necessary addition given the presence of Aaron Ramsdale at the time. David Raya's fiancee Tatiana Trouboul relaxes and dances along to music on holiday with Arsenal star But now he has cemented himself as the number one for Mikel Arteta, so much so that Ramsdale's permanent exit from the Emirates was sealed last summer. Raya reckons this past campaign has been the best of his career, and he is ensuring that he is keeping himself in the best nick possible to continue his flying form. The goalkeeper, who formed the base of the Premier League's most formidable defence this term, revealed: "I've changed my routines in the morning. "Since I came back from pre-season I wanted to be waking up earlier in the morning and doing some stuff at home. Like an ice bath in the morning." 4
Wales Online
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Wrexham's ex-Arsenal goalkeeper gets warning from David Raya - 'It's so much different'
Wrexham's ex-Arsenal goalkeeper gets warning from David Raya - 'It's so much different' Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya has outlined the difficulty of life in the Championship as Wrexham prepare to play in the second tier for the first time in 43 years Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya has spoken about the brutality of playing in the Championship ahead of Wrexham's next campaign (Image: Alex Livesey - Danehouse/Getty Images ) David Raya has issued a warning which former Arsenal goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo would do well to heed ahead of Wrexham's Championship campaign next season. Okonkwo made his name after rising up through the Gunners' academy during his youth career. He made his first senior appearances on loan at Crewe Alexandra in League Two during the 2022/23 season and also spent time in Austria with Sturm Graz. The talented shot-stopper then joined Wrexham on loan from Arsenal in September 2023 and impressed as Phil Parkinson's side secured automatic promotion from the fourth tier. Okonkwo then signed permanently for the North Wales outfit, owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney last summer. The 23-year-old was a key part of the team that achieved a third successive promotion from League One in April, recording 19 clean sheets during the 2024/25 campaign. However, current Arsenal No. 1 Raya has now cautioned over the difficulty of playing in the Championship after describing it as being tougher for keepers than even the Premier League. The Spanish international knows those challenges only too well after starring in the second tier with Blackburn Rovers and Brentford. Raya discussed the mental and physical tests while appearing on the Fozcast podcast, hosted by ex-Wrexham and Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster. "It's so much different [playing in the Championship] and you get kicked everywhere," he said. "Every throw-in is going into the six-yard box, with eight or nine monsters just going straight into you. Obviously in the Premier League there are more quality players but when it gets to physicality, there's a lot more games [in the Championship] as well. Article continues below Former Arsenal goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo has played a big role in Wrexham's recent success (Image: Ben) "That mental and physical side of playing Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday for the whole season is so, so tough and it's one of the hardest leagues in the world." Foster, who played for Wrexham over two spells and helped them win the National League title in 2023, backed Raya's frank assessment of playing in the Championship. The former England international said: "I totally agree. I think, as a goalkeeper, playing in the Championship is harder than playing in the Premier League. You need to have more about you. You've got to be physically stronger and physicality comes into it a lot more in the Championship. Watch Welcome to Wrexham season 4 on Disney+ This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more from £4.99 Disney+ Get Disney+ here Product Description Welcome to Wrexham is back on Disney+ for a fourth season. Fans can watch the series with a £4.99 monthly plan, or get 12 months for the price of 10 by paying for a year upfront. "If you go further down the leagues into the National League, League Two, even League One, I think there's Premier League goalkeepers right now that would not be able to play in those leagues. Even in the Championship, I think you've got to be more rounded to survive." Okonkwo's experience with Wrexham in the lower divisions of the EFL should stand him in good stead for the next level. He has quickly become a fan favourite at the club and features regularly in the Welcome to Wrexham docuseries. While his surroundings are now very familiar after helping his team win two promotions, Okonwko recently admitted that it wasn't always that way when he first joined Wrexham. Sign up to our newsletter! Wrexham is the Game is great new way to get top-class coverage Wrexham AFC is the arguably the fastest-growing club in the world at the moment thanks to a certain Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The Dragons have achieved two consecutive promotions and are cheered on by crowds from not only North Wales but also from all over the globe, thanks to the success of the Disney+ documentary 'Welcome to Wrexham'. But does it have a dedicated, quality source of information piped through to your inbox each week, free of ads but packed with informed opinion, analysis and even a little bit of fun each week? That's where Wrexham is the Game steps in... Available every Wednesday, it provides all the insights you need to be a top red. And for a limited time, a subscription to 'Wrexham is the Game' will cost fans just £15 for the first year. Sign up for Wrexham is the Game here Article continues below Speaking on the Amanpour and Company TV series on PBS, he said: "When my agents told me about the opportunity, I did have to search 'where is Wrexham' and that's me being honest. I knew they were in the EFL and I knew a bit about the club, but I didn't know how well they were doing. "The owners are so well known and when they're calling you, it still feels surreal. It's all been an interesting, and slightly weird, journey. "I always knew that Wrexham was the right move for me [last summer]. The fans wanted me back, the players wanted me back and they couldn't tell me any more."
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
David Raya held two-hour long Arsenal meeting – 'There's been a big change'
Arsenal's David Raya has opened up on a crunch meeting which made a big difference for the Gunners goalkeeper, with the Spaniard having since established himself as Mikel Arteta's true No. 1 David Raya has lifted the lid on how he turned his Arsenal career around following a lengthy meeting at the club's training ground. The Spanish goalkeeper has won the Premier League's Golden Glove award for the last two seasons thanks to his impressive haul of clean sheets. However, Raya suffered a difficult start to life with the Gunners after first joining on loan from Brentford during the summer of 2023. Mikel Arteta 's decision to play Raya over England international Aaron Ramsdale initially drew raised eyebrows in the early stages of the 2023/24 campaign following a series of high-profile blunders. The 29-year-old admitted he hit "rock-bottom" after making two howlers in Arsenal's 4-3 Premier League victory away at Luton in December 2023. Raya has now told former Manchester United and Wrexham shot-stopper Ben Foster how he met with the club's goalkeeping coach Inaki Cana the same evening to try and address his poor form. Speaking on the Fozcast podcast, he said: "It was a turning point against Luton. That game was one of the worst games I ever played and that's where I hit rock bottom. From there, the only way was up with changing my habits and trying to change my mindset. "From that game, I said, 'Listen, this is not me.' I think there's been a massive change from there. I met with the goalie coach after the game at the training round and we were there for two hours, talking about things that we could change. "He helped me a lot in that situation and just believed in me. I worked with him, worked with the sports psychologist and relied on my missus and my family to try to help me as much as possible. That's when I started feeling better." Raya made his move to the Emirates permanent last summer, while Ramsdale was sold to Southampton. Fast forward to 2025, and Arsenal announced last month that the Spaniard will officially be given the No.1 shirt next term after opting to change from his previous number of 22. The move will see him follow in the footsteps of David Seaman, Jens Lehmann, Manuel Almunia, Wojciech Szczesny, Petr Cech, Bernd Leno and Ramsdale. Reflecting on his tough start at Arsenal, though, Raya said he may have been playing with too much fear due to the controversy surrounding his selection. "I wasn't myself 100 per cent," he said. "Maybe I was backing off a little bit and you cannot do that. You will make more mistakes if you are backing off a little bit. "Maybe it was in the back of my head last year with all the thoughts that were behind the goalie situation. There could've been a lot of factors like the loan thing and maybe not having that [permanent] contract." Arsenal have finished in the runners-up spot in the Premier League for the last three seasons. While the club's standing has improved under Arteta, Raya said the players were disappointed to miss out on the title to Manchester City by five points last year. He said: "I think it hurt more last season because of everything that we'd done, all the points that we got and the run that we went on. "After the [mid-season] Dubai trip, we lost one game, we drew another one and we won the rest. But not fulfilling that title, and being so close and not getting it, that hurt a little bit more." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘He's ready' – New Real Madrid signing Huijsen earns praise from Arsenal star
Newly-signed Real Madrid starlet Dean Huijsen has this week come in for some well-earned praise on the part of Arsenal star David Raya. This comes as the pair prepare to reunite with the latest Spanish national team squad. Advertisement Defender Huijsen is of course fresh off sealing a big-money move back to his home country. This comes after a spectacular debut season in the colours of Bournemouth in the Premier League culminated in Real Madrid splashing out on the 20-year-old's signature. Huijsen's tender years have seen some question whether the jump to the continent's biggest club may be a step too far, too soon for Huijsen. One individual, though, in no two minds when it comes to the stopper's readiness to make the necessary leap in performance is the aforementioned David Raya. Speaking during an appearance on Ben Foster's podcast 'Fozcast' this week, Arsenal shot-stopper Raya was drawn on the talents of his fellow countryman. And the shot-stopper was not shy in revealing his opinion that: 'He's top. He's ready, you know why? He has zero f**ks given. In a good way.' Conor Laird – GSFN
New York Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Leverkusen close to signing Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken in €10m transfer
Bayer Leverkusen are close to signing Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken in a transfer worth around €10million (£8.4m; $11.3m). Leverkusen had seen a €9m offer for the Netherlands international knocked back earlier this week, but are now set to seal an agreement for the 31-year-old. Separately, Brentford are among several Premier League clubs interested in the availability of Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, who is valued by the Anfield club above £20m ($26.9m). Advertisement Flekken, who kept 14 clean sheets across 74 Premier League appearances for Brentford, started his career in the academy of Dutch side Roda JC but has spent the bulk of his career in Germany with Freiburg, Duisburg, Greuther Furth and Alemannia Aachen. He joined Brentford from German side Freiburg in May 2023 and succeeded Arsenal-bound David Raya as Thomas Frank's No 1. Last month, Leverkusen appointed former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag as their new head coach, succeeding Xabi Alonso following the latter's move to Real Madrid. The Bundesliga side are likely to have a busy summer transfer window after Jeremie Frimpong joined Liverpool, who are also in talks over a €130m move for playmaker Florian Wirtz, while Leverkusen centre-back Jonathan Tah has joined Bayern Munich. Brentford never sell key players until they have lined up a replacement and the best example of this involved Flekken a couple of years ago. Towards the end of the 2022-23 season, David Raya rejected a couple of contract offers and made it clear in multiple interviews that he wanted to leave. Brentford completed the signing of Flekken, who replaced Raya, in May. Raya did not join Arsenal, initially on loan before the deal was made permanent a year later, until August 2023. Brentford broke their club-record to sign Igor Thiago from Club Brugge in February 2024 as a long-term replacement for Ivan Toney. Thiago officially joined that summer but Toney's move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli was not completed until the final day of the window. Flekken will be missed by Brentford but he is the oldest player in their starting XI by a couple of years. If they manage to sign Caoimhin Kelleher, they will be replacing him with someone who is much younger and can continue to develop. Kelleher represents the Republic of Ireland and could be tempted to link up with his international captain Nathan Collins. Advertisement Brentford have a good relationship with Liverpool after they signed Sepp van den Berg and Fabio Carvalho from them last year. Jay Harris Goalkeeper is an awkward position for Leverkusen. Lukas Hradecky is the club's current number one and captain, but had a down season compared to the year before. His shot-stopping was not quite at the same level. Xabi Alonso rotated in the role, allowing Matej Kovar to start regularly in the Champions League, but neither would be considered Bundesliga-leading players. At 31, Flekken is not a project, but he is a more dependable shot-stopper and significantly better with the ball at his feet — the latter being of particular importance to incoming head-coach Erik ten Hag. But viewed from any angle, this would be an upgrade and a smart deal. And perhaps it also shows a lesson learned. In the summer of 2024, Leverkusen responded to their league and cup double by deepening their squad, but not really improving their starting eleven. They raised their floor, rather than their ceiling, and in combination with injuries and bad luck, that left them underpowered when defending their domestic titles and while trying to compete in Europe. Of course, the focus is currently on players leaving the BayArena. Jeremie Frimpong has signed for Liverpool, Jonathan Tah has moved to Bayern Munich, and Florian Wirtz is also highly likely to depart. But Leverkusen have already signed highly rated Hertha Berlin midfielder Ibrahim Maza, who will be a player to watch next season, and this is another positive step in their post-Alonso reinvention. Sebastian Stafford-Bloor (Top image:)
