Sports Nicknames - El Guaje (The Kid)

Spanish football has had innumerable stars and legends who have left their own special mark on the sport and a distinctive impression on the fans. One remarkable name among the Spanish greats is David Villa, a versatile and well-rounded forward who became the most prolific goal scorer in the country. Regarded as one of the best forwards of his generation, he finished his career as an all-time great with 59 goals in 98 appearances for Spain.



Childhood Nickname:

Villa always carried a distinctive fire within his belly that added to his inner drive and confidence. During his childhood, he never found his own age group competitive enough and opted to play with the children who were much older than him.

He was nicknamed "El Guaje", an Asturian term that means "The Kid." He was called that because he chose to play with Kids elder to him instead of staying in his own less competitive age group.

By playing with the elder kids, he bred inherent competitiveness and mental toughness, which remained a hallmark of his later years.


Early Days at the Highest Level:

Villa's professional Career started with Sporting de Gijon in 2000. His La Liga career started with Real Zaragoza, where he played between 2003 and 2005. During the period, he won Copa Del Ray and SuperCopa de Espana. In 2005, Valencia roped him in with a transfer fee of 12 million euros. He stayed at the club for five years and scored 108 goals in 166 appearances. He remained the top scorer for Valencia in all five seasons he played for the club.


International Career:

On an international level, Villa had a career that hardly few can even imagine. He won the two most iconic Global Trophies with Spain while being the chief architect of both victories. The 2008 to 2010 period was a dream era for the Spanish fans, as Spain won both the UEFA Euro Cup and the FIFA World Cup during the period. At the 2008 UEFA Euro Cup, Villa was the top scorer for Spain with 4 goals and won the Golden Boot Award for that. He was included in the UEFA Euro 2008 team of the tournament.

Two years later, he bettered his Euro Cup Performances with 5 goals at the 2010 FIFA World Cup for his team. Thus, becoming the leading goal scorer for the country in the world cup competitions with 9 goals.


The Number 7 Jersey - Leading Goal Scorer:

Historically, Raul wore the number 7 jersey for Spain and was the leading goal scorer in the history of Spanish Football. He was the rightful heir of the number 7 jersey and adorned it gracefully. In 2011, he surpassed Raul as the leading goal scorer in the history of the Spanish National Football Team. He finished his Career with 59 goals in 98 matches. His average of 0.60 goals per match is the best among the top-10 goal scorers for Spain.


Barcelona Era:

2010 was the year when Villa's most successful sporting partnership started with the prestigious FC Barcelona. Barcelona brought him to the club for a transfer fee of 40 million euros in 2010. In the 2010-11 season, Barcelona won the UEFA Champions League and La Liga trophies to assert their dominance in global football. Villa was the scorer in the Champions League Final that Barcelona won by 3-1 against Manchester United.

In 2011, Barcelona added to the trophy cabinet with the UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup, before winning another La Liga title in 2012-13.


Post Barca Career and Retirement:

In 2013, Villa moved to Atletico Madrid and won another La Liga title in the 2013-14 season. Following that, Villa moved to MLS Franchise New York City FC. In his four years at the club, he scored 80 goals in 124 games to become the all-time leading goal scorer for the club. He moved to Japanese Club Vissel Kobe in 2019 before retiring from the sport in 2020.



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