Raya: It may take years before we truly realize what we've accomplished

Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya appeared on the podcast "Beyond The Box," reflecting on leaving Spain at 16 to pursue football in England and his experiences with Blackburn, Brentford, and Arsenal. Since the interview is two hours long, it will be released in multiple parts. 

David, I have a question for you. Premier League title, World Cup title, Golden Glove, Champions League final. Which one is harder?

And the Community Shield.

The Community Shield. Sorry, sorry. (Laughs) Which one is harder—winning these honors or raising a child? (Laughs)

To be honest, we've been quite fortunate with our child. So I would say winning those honors is harder. The child is good, he sleeps well, and that's the most important thing.

You're so lucky. (Laughs) I couldn't sleep at all.

Everyone says that. Of course, achieving those things is very, very difficult because it's a collective effort, and you can't control how other teams perform. So it's hard. But, guys, it was indeed a great season.

Does it feel the way you imagined? I've talked to many players who, after winning something or reaching a certain level, say it doesn't feel like they imagined. You've had an incredible year. After all this, does it feel the way you imagined?

It feels surreal, but I can understand why people have different opinions about these things. In football, and I think it's the same in other sports, after you achieve something, you definitely feel those emotions for a few days, but then it passes, and you pursue the next goal.

It's like winning a game; you have all sorts of emotions afterward, but by the next day, they're gone, and you're preparing for the next match. So I think sometimes it takes many years for us to truly realize what we've achieved.

I've talked to some players who have won many honors, like the Champions League. I think it's the same for them: you're always chasing the next goal, and it's not until two or three years later that you truly realize what you've accomplished.

I agree. After winning the Premier League title, you had the Champions League final about a week to a week and a half later. Looking back at that period now, before the trophy parade, did you truly celebrate winning the Premier League? Was there even one day where you fully allowed yourself to feel it? Or was it, as you just said: "Okay, we won, now focus on the next thing"?

When we won the title, we had one night to celebrate—the day Manchester City lost to Bournemouth. We watched that game together at the training ground. The club had prepared in advance in case they dropped points, and they did.

So that night, all the players, staff, and other club members went out and celebrated together. But after that, it was over; we were basically preparing for the final.

It was less than two weeks, perhaps only about 12 days. We won the title on a Tuesday, and the final was the following Sunday. So even while preparing for Crystal Palace, we were more focused on getting ready for the Champions League final. Of course, the last league match of the season was also important, and we wanted to finish with a win. But our focus was on the final.

As your attention shifted to the final, did you feel a change in atmosphere? Perhaps your own feelings or the atmosphere in the dressing room? Manchester City lost to Bournemouth, and you celebrated that night at the training ground. After the celebration, when you came back the next day, knowing you had to prepare for the Champions League final, did the atmosphere in the dressing room change?

Yes. I think it gave us extra motivation. The club hadn't won this title in 22 years, and winning such an important trophy after so long gives you more drive.

You think: "We can win the double. If we win the Champions League, we can create something very special at this club," because the club has never done it before.

So it gave us more motivation. Of course, we fell short in the end. Hopefully, this year we can do it and lift that trophy.

I know you've said many times that you felt very emotional and down the night after the Champions League final. But looking back at that game and your entire Champions League campaign, as one of the best-performing goalkeepers, how would you rate your personal performance during this Champions League journey?

From a personal perspective, I think I performed very well throughout that Champions League season, and the final was no different. They didn't have many shots, but they created many different situations, and you had to be alert at all times.

However, to be honest, I was very, very tired that night. I don't know why. I think it might have been fatigue accumulated throughout the season, or perhaps related to the game itself. Such matches give you extra energy; you might put too much into the warm-up and preparation, and then your body slowly cools down, which is a peculiar feeling.

Moreover, the emotions you experience also make your body tense. I think that might have been the case. But I'm very satisfied with my performance throughout the Champions League season. If you want to put it this way, I think I played a decisive role many times.

Yes. That was obviously your first Champions League final. We often discuss this with goalkeepers: when facing a situation for the first time, anxiety often increases, the body becomes more tense, and you expend more energy than you realize. This also relates to what you said about the warm-up. So, when you went to warm up or stood in the player's tunnel before the Champions League final began, what was on your mind? What were your thoughts before going into that match?

My thoughts were the same as for any ordinary match. Mentally, I think I'm very calm in this regard. No matter what stage the match is at, I try to approach every game the same way. So I was very calm, just thinking about what I could do during the match.

I might visualize some scenarios in my mind, such as what actions I might need to perform, how to handle the ball when it comes to my feet, what to do if a cross comes in, as well as transitions and the entire game plan.

My focus was on these things: concentrating on the present while also thinking ahead about what might happen. But I wouldn't deliberately make it a huge deal, like: "Oh my God, I'm playing in a Champions League final, I've dreamed of being here since I was a child."

I think, as you just said, that might actually increase anxiety rather than help. So I just try to stay calm and treat it as a normal match.

Where did you learn all this? Because it requires very strong self-awareness—knowing what you're thinking and feeling in a given situation and being able to use methods like visualization or active thinking. How did you develop these abilities? Where did you learn them? From your experiences in the Championship and Premier League, or earlier in your career? Or from recent training?

I think it comes from experience to some extent. After I came to England, I started at a relatively lower level. I've played in the Championship, League One, and the National League. These experiences along the way have shaped me in different ways. I've learned a lot from different goalkeeping coaches and different head coaches.

One of those things is to visualize what you want to do and what you want to happen in your mind. If you visualize good things, those thoughts will bring good things. For example, if you imagine yourself coming out to claim a cross, then you will claim that cross.

If your goal is to do something positively, you will do it positively. But if you just think: "Let's see what happens," in a way, that might lead to negative outcomes.

I guess the brain and body can't distinguish between what happens in reality and what you imagine in your mind, right? So you made a very good point. You just mentioned your early experiences, saying you started at a relatively lower level. Let's go back further. Did you start by playing futsal?

No...

AF's PC site is now live! Browse full news, comments, match details and stats on your computer. Visit: www.allfootballapp.com