David Raya shows off his plaster-covered ‘abnormal shovel’ hands that got him from non-league to Arsenal

DAVID RAYA has enjoyed a meteoric rise to become Arsenal No1 – thanks to his “abnormal shovel” hands.

The Spaniard joined the Gunners on loan last summer in a deal the club will make permanent at the end of the season.

GettyDavid Raya’s massive hands have been likened to shovels[/caption]

He usurped Aaron Ramsdale and has not looked back since taking his place in the team.

It is a familiar story for Raya who has been on an upward trajectory ever since he swapped Catalonia for the north-west in 2012.

Raya signed for Blackburn on a scholarship at 16-years-old, having caught the eye at Spanish side Union Esportiva Cornella.

His former coach at the club Andres Manzano never doubted his talent and he always expected Raya would rise to the top – thanks in part to his massive hands.

Manzano told The Telegraph: “The coach said he was never going to be six foot. But I told him ‘why are you taking his size from his head? Take his size from his hands!’

“David showed them his hands and they said ‘OK, we will give him a trial.’

“I can tell you, he has hands almost double the size of mine. He already had them at 15. They are not normal hands, and it was my way of convincing the coaches to take him seriously.”

Blackburn immediately recognised Raya’s striking physique too and he convinced academy goalkeeper coach Steven Drench of his quality after just one session.

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Drench recommended Rovers sign him right away and compared his giant hands to “shovels”.

He said: “They are huge. When he was 16 I would serve the ball at him like I would do for the 18-year-olds, and he was just catching everything. His hands were that good, and that big.

“If you ever meet him, he has hands like shovels, they’re massive.”

During his Ewood Park spell Raya spent time on loan at non-league Southport before breaking into the first-team and helping Blackburn to promotion to the Championship in 2018.

A year later he joined Brentford for £3million and helped the Bees reach the Premier League in 2021.

Raya, 28, wears size 11 goalkeeper gloves which are made by The ONE Glove – the largest size available on the company’s website.

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