Villa

Full name : David Villa Sánchez
Date of birth : 3 December 1981
Place of birth : Langreo, Spain
Height : 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position : Striker
Current club : Barcelona
Number : 7
Youth career :
1991–1999 Langreo
Senior career :
1999–2001 Sporting Gijón B
2001–2003 Sporting Gijón
2003–2005 Zaragoza
2005–2010 Valencia
2010– Barcelona


National team :
2000–2003 Spain U21
2005– Spain

Club career

Sporting de Gijón and Real Zaragoza

Villa dated spare-time activity from many Asturian teams, but one of the province's greater teams, Real Oviedo, documented that he was too short and that they did not consider he had adequate potential. He subsequently received his representative innovation at his provincial club Sporting de Gijón, pursuing in the footsteps of his childhood idol Quini. Starting out at the team's youth ranks, he organised his first-team début in the 2000–01 season. After scoring 25 objectives in couple seasons, he became a first team regular. Pepe Acebal, the Sporting Gijon overseer at the time, said that Villa earlier lacked the stamina to have a real impact and had to be given his chance bit by bit and that Villa's size for task was "unrivalled".

"He had great systematic qualities. His first touch was lovely and, even so you can never be sure someone will generate it, you could tell he was talented. He creates very proficient diagonal runs, contravening away from defenders, and he invariably organised the right decisions. He is very intuitive."