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Spain manager confused 'nobody talks about' Arsenal star and admits 'only regret'
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya has established himself as the Gunners' No 1 but Spain boss Luis de la Fuente is baffled the Premier League star gets so little attention in his homeland
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has questioned why there isn't greater discussion surrounding David Raya being the nation's No 1, asserting that "nobody talks about him".
The Arsenal goalkeeper has cemented his position as first choice at the Emirates following his 2023 arrival from Brentford. He's now integral to their aspirations and could conclude the campaign as a Premier League champion. At international level he confronts stiff competition from Athletic Bilbao's Unai Simon, Barcelona's Joan Garcia and Real Sociedad's Alex Remiro.
Simon has served as Spain's primary goalkeeper for numerous years and it was he who featured two summers past when the Spanish secured Euro 2024 triumph, letting in four goals across seven matches during their path to glory. He remains the No 1 but De la Fuente believes greater recognition should be afforded to Raya as a viable option, reports the Mirror.
He said: "It would be unfair if we didn't value Unai's quality, class, career, and professional experience. It would be absurd for me to have to come here and reaffirm it, just because he's Unai Simon. When a goalkeeper is at this level, you have to respect his standing and his career.
"Besides, we have David Raya, who I'm eager for you to ask me about. In England, they consider him the best goalkeeper in the world, and here nobody talks about him.
"The same goes for Joan Garcia and Alex Remiro, let's be fair. But Unai Simon is indisputable. The others have a lot of talent and class, but everything in its own time."
Simon was handed the complete 90 minutes on Friday evening as La Roja secured a 3-0 friendly victory over Serbia. Raya and Remiro were both amongst the substitutes, though with another fixture approaching on Tuesday against Egypt, a rotation could occur to afford someone else an opportunity to shine.
De La Fuente acknowledges he must proceed cautiously when rotating his goalkeeper, given it's such a specialised role and so intrinsically tied to confidence and assurance.
"The best news is that I have no doubts at all," he stated. "I have complete confidence in them. There's something special about them. The best news is seeing that all four goalkeepers, regardless of who was left out, embraced each other and are encouraging one another.
"Unai Simon is Unai Simon, Raya is a fantastic goalkeeper, and Alex Remiro is just as good. We'll see what happens between now and Tuesday, but I have no doubts. My only regret is leaving one out."
Daily Star Sunday
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya has established himself as the Gunners' No 1 but Spain boss Luis de la Fuente is baffled the Premier League star gets so little attention in his homeland
Spain manager Luis de la Fuente has questioned why there isn't greater discussion surrounding David Raya being the nation's No 1, asserting that "nobody talks about him".
The Arsenal goalkeeper has cemented his position as first choice at the Emirates following his 2023 arrival from Brentford. He's now integral to their aspirations and could conclude the campaign as a Premier League champion. At international level he confronts stiff competition from Athletic Bilbao's Unai Simon, Barcelona's Joan Garcia and Real Sociedad's Alex Remiro.
Simon has served as Spain's primary goalkeeper for numerous years and it was he who featured two summers past when the Spanish secured Euro 2024 triumph, letting in four goals across seven matches during their path to glory. He remains the No 1 but De la Fuente believes greater recognition should be afforded to Raya as a viable option, reports the Mirror.
He said: "It would be unfair if we didn't value Unai's quality, class, career, and professional experience. It would be absurd for me to have to come here and reaffirm it, just because he's Unai Simon. When a goalkeeper is at this level, you have to respect his standing and his career.
"Besides, we have David Raya, who I'm eager for you to ask me about. In England, they consider him the best goalkeeper in the world, and here nobody talks about him.
"The same goes for Joan Garcia and Alex Remiro, let's be fair. But Unai Simon is indisputable. The others have a lot of talent and class, but everything in its own time."
Simon was handed the complete 90 minutes on Friday evening as La Roja secured a 3-0 friendly victory over Serbia. Raya and Remiro were both amongst the substitutes, though with another fixture approaching on Tuesday against Egypt, a rotation could occur to afford someone else an opportunity to shine.
De La Fuente acknowledges he must proceed cautiously when rotating his goalkeeper, given it's such a specialised role and so intrinsically tied to confidence and assurance.
"The best news is that I have no doubts at all," he stated. "I have complete confidence in them. There's something special about them. The best news is seeing that all four goalkeepers, regardless of who was left out, embraced each other and are encouraging one another.
"Unai Simon is Unai Simon, Raya is a fantastic goalkeeper, and Alex Remiro is just as good. We'll see what happens between now and Tuesday, but I have no doubts. My only regret is leaving one out."
Daily Star Sunday