David Raya has undergone quite the transformation since suffering a horror injury that saw the Arsenal goalkeeper require plastic surgery
10:23, 30 May 2026
David Raya wins man of the match after Sporting CP clash
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David Raya looks drastically different from his younger years(Image: Photo by Alex Pantling - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
David Raya has the opportunity to lift the Champions League trophy almost eight years after sustaining a devastating facial injury.
The Arsenal goalkeeper has become a mainstay in the Gunners' starting line-up ahead of Saturday's European final against Paris Saint-Germain. Raya, 30, has experienced a remarkable rise in football, having even featured at non-league level with Southport, but suffered a traumatic setback during his spell with Blackburn Rovers.
Raya was caught up in a serious collision with then-West Brom forward Jay Rodriguez during a fixture in 2018 that resulted in hospitalisation and the need for reconstructive surgery.
The Spaniard was required to wear a protective mask for a fortnight following his comeback. Years after the incident, supporters noticed the dramatic transformation in his appearance following a post on X two years ago.
It displayed a side-by-side comparison of Raya at 29 and when he was 19 with numerous people remarking on the striking contrast between photographs. Users on the social media platform posted comments such as "what a glow up" while others joked he even looks younger after the surgery, as they said: "Broke his nose and he aged backwards."
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Despite the distressing on-pitch scenes following the collision, Raya chose to postpone the surgery until the conclusion of the season with the injury proving to be less severe than initially feared. The goalkeeper opened up about the harrowing ordeal when speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph in November 2018.
He explained: "It's not impeding me to breathe or anything and if I had the surgery now [during that season], I would be out for six to eight weeks." Then-Rovers manager Tony Mowbray revealed how Raya's team-mates reacted upon witnessing the severity of his injury at the time.
Blackburn Rovers' David Raya celebrates during the Sky Bet League One match between Doncaster Rovers and Blackburn Rovers at Keepmoat Stadium
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The Arsenal goalkeeper suffered a harrowing facial injury at Blackburn(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
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Speaking to BBC Sport, he said: "The players were feeling sick with what they saw. He is in hospital. The bone at the top has been pushed into the skull almost and the nose is sort of hanging off really. The players could not look at it, it was that bad."
Rodriguez - who now plies his trade at Wrexham - subsequently admitted he felt "gutted" about his involvement in the incident. He said: "It's not nice to see. I was chasing the ball, I tried to get out of the way but I've caught him with the top of my foot.
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David Raya walks off the pitch wearing a protective mask
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The 30-year-old had to wear a protective mask after his return(Image: 2018 CameraSport)
"I've been told he's gone to hospital and I'm gutted about that." Raya has come on in leaps and bounds since that moment, and last week was crowned a Premier League champion for the first time following Arsenal's 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace.
He also claimed his third consecutive Golden Glove award, registering 19 clean sheets - four more than runner-up Gianluigi Donnarumma. Raya can round off a remarkable season at the Puskas Arena on Saturday, with the Gunners aiming to become the seventh English club to lift the Champions League trophy.