DAVID VILLA

David Villa Sánchez (born 3 December 1981 in Langreo, Asturias, Spain), nicknamed El Guaje (The Kid in Castilian) is a Spanish football player, who currently plays for Valencia CF in the Spanish La Liga.

Born in the Asturias region in Northern Spain. His profesional career was put in jeopardy at the age of 9 when he suffered a severe fracture to his femur, but thanks to a non invasive approach he was able to make a complete recovery. he got his professional breakthrough at his local club Sporting de Gijón, for whom he made his first-team debut in the 2000–01 season. The next season he was a first team regular, scoring 18 league goals, and scored 20 the next season. After over 50 goals in just three seasons at Gijón, he got his chance in Spain's top-flight La Liga, when promoted Real Zaragoza bought him in the summer of 2003. He had no trouble adapting to the step up in class and scored 17 times in his first season at Zaragoza. Villa led Zaragoza to a Copa del Rey victory scoring a crucial goal against Real Madrid.

Soon after he earned his first international call-up and cap, Valencia decided to take a chance on him and parted with €12 million (£8.2 million) to secure his services in the summer of 2005. Villa has a wife, Patricia and a daughter Zaida, and they reside in Valencia, Spain.

In the 2005-06 season, he scored 25 goals in 35 league matches for Valencia, to finish 1 goal behind the league's top scorer Samuel Eto'o of Barcelona. He scored his first hat-trick for Valencia against Athletic Bilbao on the 23 April 2006. Villa managed the hat trick in just over 5 minutes (80th to the 85th minute) making it one of the quickest hat-tricks ever recorded.

Villa's form continued into the 2006–07 season, with the striker forming a prolific partnership up front with former Real Madrid star Fernando Morientes. Together, Villa and Morientes netted around 40 goals in all competitions, and also ousted Raúl González from the Spanish national squad. He scored a free kick goal in the 2nd round of the Champions League against Inter Milan which helped lead Valencia through to the quarter finals where they eventually lost to Chelsea FC.

On his 100th league appearance for Valencia, Villa scored a hat-trick against Levante; his 54th, 55th and 56th league goals for the club. Another two goals on the final day of the season against Atletico Madrid meant he finished the season with 18 league goals from 27 games.

In 2007-2008 he also won his first trophy with Valencia, winning the Copa del Rey, beating FC Barcelona in the semi-finals and then 3-1 v Getafe CF in the final.

Villa made his national debut on 9 February 2005 in Almeria. It was a match between Spain and San Marino in which Spain won 5–0.

Villa was included in Spain's 23 man squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, and was favoured over the more established striker Raúl, to line up alongside Fernando Torres in the opening match against Ukraine. Villa made his first World Cup finals appearance scoring twice against Ukraine. He added one more from the penalty spot in Spain's 1–3 defeat to France in a Round of 16 knock-out match. He finished joint top goal scorer for Spain along with Fernando Torres in World Cup 2006 with three goals.

After the World Cup, Villa continued to be Spain's first choice striker, starting all 11 international matches during 2006–07 season. He also scored an impressive 8 goals from those matches and was Spain's top scorer in Euro 2008 qualifying with 7 goals. He scored the winning goal against Italy with a volley in a friendly match on 26 March 2008.

Villa provided crucial goals for Spain in the group stages. At his first match in the Euro, Villa scored the only hat-trick of the tournament in the Spaniards' first match against Russia in Innsbruck on the 10th June, scoring in the 20th, 44th, and 75th minutes which ended in a 4-1 victory for the Spanish team. Villa was also part of the play that resulted in the fourth goal. In the following game, against Sweden, on the 14th of June, Villa scored a goal in the 92nd minute and dislocated his finger in the celebration, but earned the Spaniards a 2-1 victory. He led the Euro 2008 Top Scorers chart with 4 goals. Villa also scored Spain's first penalty in their 4-2 quarter final penalty shoot out win against Italy in Vienna. Villa started Spain's semi-final win against Russia, however he was substituted in the first half after picking up an injury, one which ruled him out of the Euro 2008 final. Though absent from the final Villa ended as the top-scorer of the tournament, winning the golden boot and a place in the Euro 2008 team of the tournament.