David Villa Sánchez (born 3 December 1981 in
Langreo, Asturias, Spain), nicknamed El Guaje (The
Kid in Asturian) is a Spanish football player, who
currently plays for Valencia.
Born in the Asturias region in Northern Spain, he
got his professional breakthrough at his local club
Sporting de Gijón, for whom he made his first-team
debut in the 2000–01 season. The next season he was
a first team regular, scoring 18 league goals, and
scored 20 the next season. After over 50 goals in
just three seasons at Gijón, he got his chance in
Spain's top-flight La Liga, when promoted Real
Zaragoza bought him in the summer of 2003. He had no
trouble adapting to the step up in class and scored
17 times in his first season at Zaragoza. Villa led
Zaragoza to a Copa del Rey victory scoring a crucial
goal against Real Madrid.
Soon after he earned his first international call-up
and cap, Valencia decided to take a chance on him
and parted with €12 million (£8.2 million) to secure
his services in the summer of 2005. Villa has a wife
and a daughter Zaeida, and they reside in Madrid,
Spain.
