David Raya Calls Brentford Move 'The Best Thing I've Done'

David Raya has revealed that Brentford initially had reservations about signing him because of his height, with former goalkeeping coach Iñaki Caña playing an important role in bringing him to the club.

Raya arrived from Blackburn Rovers in July 2019, having spent seven years at Ewood Park after moving to England from Spain as a teenager. The goalkeeper had already established himself in the Championship, but wanted a fresh challenge after his relationship with Blackburn's manager had deteriorated.

The Bees were in the market for a new goalkeeper following Daniel Bentley's departure to Bristol City, and Caña had taken an interest in Raya after watching him play against the Bees.

Speaking on the Beyond the Box podcast, Raya explained that the Spanish coach had been determined to bring him to West London, despite there being concerns over whether he was tall enough.

"At the start, I know Brentford wasn't keen on me because I'm not tall enough. Supposed to not be tall enough."

Caña continued pushing for the signing, and Raya eventually completed his move on a four-year contract. Thomas Frank was also involved in convincing him, discussing Brentford's playing style and their ambition to reach the Premier League.

Looking back on the decision, Raya described joining Brentford as "the best thing I've done", recalling how quickly he recognised that the club suited him.

"Brentford was perfect for me," he said, praising the style of play, how the club was run and its family environment.

When he first left Spain for Blackburn at 16, he had promised himself that he would not leave England without playing in the Premier League, although Rovers' subsequent relegations meant his career had taken a different route.

His arrival came as part of a summer which had been widely productive for Brentford. Pontus Jansson, Ethan Pinnock, Christian Nørgaard, Mathias Jensen and Bryan Mbeumo also joined, with all six eventually featuring in the squad that secured promotion through the Championship play-offs in 2021.

Raya's first season ended in disappointment against Fulham at Wembley, but he had already become an important part of Frank's side. He played every Championship match during the 2019/20 campaign, recording 16 clean sheets and sharing the division's Golden Glove award with Millwall's Bartosz Bialkowski.

Caña, meanwhile, had left for Arsenal in December 2019, after working with Raya for only a matter of months.

The two eventually reunited in North London, but Raya believes that even their brief spell together at Brentford changed his approach to goalkeeping.

"I think Iñaki changed the way I saw goalkeeping.”

At Blackburn, Raya had relied heavily on his speed and reactions to make saves. Caña wanted him to position himself higher, attack crosses and intervene before opponents were able to get shots away.

"I wasn't proactive enough. I was reactive."

It was clear change from how he had previously been taught to play, although his development did not stop when Caña left. Raya also credited subsequent goalkeeping coach Manu Sotelo with helping him improve while at Brentford.

The goalkeeper revealed that his former coach had tried to arrange a move, but Raya believed staying with the Bees was the better decision at that stage of his career.

Arsenal could not offer him the same prospect of regular first-team football, while Brentford had just reached the Premier League and Raya was established as their goalkeeper.

He subsequently spent two seasons in the top flight with the Bees before joining the Gunners on loan in August 2023, with the transfer becoming permanent the following summer.

The move gave Raya another opportunity to work with Caña, in an entirely new situation. This time competing with Aaron Ramsdale for the starting position. He has since established himself as Arsenal's first-choice goalkeeper and added three consecutive Premier League Golden Glove awards to his collection.