David Villa was only 20 when he was faced with what may transpire to have been the defining moment of his career. The mental fortitude that he summoned, the confidence and bravado he displayed, perhaps explain why some of the biggest clubs in England will do battle this summer for the right to pay up to £50 million for the Spain striker’s services.
Now 25, Villa was playing for his local club, Sporting Gijón, a struggling second division side for whom another relegation could mean going out of existence. At home to Murcia, who were top of the table and desperate for victory, the match was goalless three minutes from time when Villa, returning from injury and on as a substitute, won a penalty.
Taking the ball off a more experienced teammate, Villa had to wait five minutes in a suffocating atmosphere as Murcia’s players continued their protests to the referee. Two of them, Francisco Maciel and José Acciari, got close to him: “You are s****ing yourself,” they told him. Villa, though, scored the only goal of the match from the spot, which he celebrated by pushing Acciari away and running towards the Murcia bench, where Maciel, who had been replaced, did not welcome Villa’s expressive gesture.
“Nothing I will do in football will be more difficult than that penalty,” Villa said, “but it wasn’t till the next day that I realised the true meaning of what I had done.” That quality and fighting spirit, as well as his goals, have taken Villa – born in Tuilla, a small village in Asturias, a principality in northern Spain – to where he is now: along with Cristiano Ronaldo, the hottest property in world football.
We met in a restaurant in Valencia. Our fellow diners stopped eating and turned to look at Villa, who happily shook their hands before hiding himself behind the paella that was waiting for us. The arrogance that he displays when he plays is left on the pitch.
Being a star is probably one of the few things that he did not learn in his village. “There are 1,900 inhabitants in Truilla and that is where my parents live still,” he said. “And they will always live there – I won’t let them go.”
It was on the small five-a-side pitch at his village school where he become skilled at dribbling; it was from his father, a retired miner, that he inherited the bravery and the aggressiveness that now drives defenders mad; it was from the highly politicised left-wing mining community that he learnt to be humble and determined; and from the closure of the mines, which affected many members of his family, that he learnt to appreciate the need to make the most of a footballer’s short career.
“My father worked really hard and we lived daily with the uncertainty of his return home,” Villa said. “He suffered so much in the mine that I have never felt like going down to see what’s in there. I am not the only footballer of a modest background, but to come from those surroundings adds to your character. If I didn’t run so much, if I didn’t leave every bit of my energy on a pitch, I wouldn’t be what I am now. And I have always realised to get far in life you have to make a huge effort every single day, every single training session and match.”
Like most footballers, el Guaje (“the kid” in Asturian) learnt some harsh early lessons. The club that he and his father supported, Real Oviedo, had a look at him but were not impressed. He moved to their local rivals, Sporting, where he scored 39 goals in the second division before moving to Real Zaragoza for €2.7 million (about £1.8 million).
“Before I made it to Sporting, all I cared about was about playing with the friends I had been playing with since I was 8,” he said. “At 17 or so, I started playing with the youth team at Sporting, then it became about being a professional and trying to make it into the first team. When I moved to Zaragoza I had to leave everything I knew well – friends, family, memories – and that was hard. But I know the life of a footballer lasts, as we say, a couple of days. That is why I left Sporting behind the first chance I had. I couldn’t waste time.”
In his first season at Zaragoza he helped to win the Copa del Rey, beating a Real Madrid team that boasted Figo, Beckham, Zidane and Raúl 3-2 after extra time in the final. He took the penalty that made it 2-1. After two seasons that produced 39 goals, he signed for Valencia, who bought out his contract for £8 million.
Last season’s tally of 25 league goals meant that only Samuel Eto’o, of Barcelona, finished ahead of him, with 26, but the statistics suggest that Villa is the more complete player. He takes penalties – he has missed only one in the first division – corners and free kicks. He converted 26 per cent of his chances compared with 17 per cent for Eto, won three penalties, crossed more balls into the area and started more moves than the Cameroon striker.
The season finished on a high, but the World Cup finals in Germany brought Villa down to earth again. “They were my first matches with the national team, although I didn’t play in my [preferred] position,” he said. “Losing against France [3-1 in the second round] was one of the worst feelings of my career.”
The 1-0 victory over England in a friendly this month helped Spain – and particularly Villa, the man of the match – to restore their pride. After it, senior members of the England squad used mutual friends to sell the benefits of moving to their clubs and many feel that the striker is about to make his next move. “A match against England, and at Old Trafford, is not just any match and I am very happy about my performance,” Villa said. “I talk a lot about English football with [his Valencia teammates Rubén] Baraja and [Asier] del Horno [the former Chelsea defender], and with Pepe Reina [the Liverpool goalkeeper], one of my best friends. I know it is quicker and more intense than Spanish football.
“When I watch the Premiership I do wonder if I would fit in or not, but I am at the third-best club in Spain, they renewed my contract a few months back with a huge buyout clause [of £100 million] and while Valencia continues having a project of a big club, I have to be proud to be here.”
He spent New Year’s Eve with his wife in Liverpool (“I didn’t visit any pub, though!”) and saw their 3-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers on January 1. “The stadium was full, the atmosphere was electric,” he said. “It was my first live match in England and I loved it. I met Rafa BenÍtez [the Liverpool manager] for a short chat and some people recognised me. I feel very proud to have been in another country and having people knowing who I was.”
Unlike some players, Villa is happy to discuss on Monday at the training ground the matches he watched at the weekend – and the players he admires. “I am attracted to the strength of Chelsea and the pace and mobility of Arsenal, especially at home,” he said. “Everybody loves Manchester United – they have played some of the best football in Europe for a long while, maintaining a good defensive discipline. Liverpool are like Valencia – a team full of heart, good at the back with a midfield of quality and built so it is very difficult to beat them.” He believes that Barcelona may struggle to beat them in the Champions League first knockout round, the first leg of which is at the Nou Camp on Wednesday.
“Because of the way football is played now, there are not many players like Cristiano Ronaldo in the world – brilliant in one-on-ones,” Villa said. “[Frank] Lampard has got lots of quality in his passing and covers lots of ground. Him and Gerrard are two of the best midfielders in the world because they mix quality and physical presence.”
The rumour doing the rounds in Spain is that Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid will fight for his signature this summer, but it will take around £50 million to persuade Valencia to sell. Just in case, it looks like Villa has done his homework.
Comment