DAVID VILLA

Currently playing for La Liga footballing giants Valencia, David Villa Sanchez was born in Spain on 3rd December 1981. His football career nearly ended before it was even properly started when at the tender age of four years old David Villa broke his femur which meant he was left with a limp. Despite this horrific injury which could have prevented him from ever playing football, Villa made a full recovery. 

David Villa made his first professional debut for Sporting de Gijon during the 2000-01 and since that date he has never looked back. By the next season Villa was a firm fixture in the first team and his prolific scoring ability was rewarded with a high profile move to La Liga team Real Zaragoza in the summer of 2003. Villa was an integral member of the team and his natural proficiency for scoring goals flourished earning Zaragoza a Copa del Rey victory. In fact it was Villa who netted the winning goal against Real Madrid in the final. 

His promising and strong performances earned him a call up to the Spanish national side and in the summer of 2005 Villa joined Valencia for the sum of £8.2 million. In his first season he proved that the club had made the right decision in signing him when he scored 25 goals and was the second highest goal scorer in La Liga closely losing out on the top spot to Samuel Eto'o ofBarcelona. 

His sparkling form continued into the 2006-07 season as he formed a lethal partnership with former Liverpool and Real Madrid forward Fernando Morientes. This partnership was so successful that Villa and Morientes ousted fan's favourites Fernando Torres and Raul from the forward positions in the Spanish national side. 

David Villa has secured a firm place in the Spanish national team and was included in the squad that travelled to the 2006 FIFA World Cup in France.