David Villa - A career that undeservedly went under the radar

True to his nickname 'El Guaje' (The Kid), David Villa preserves an enormous amount of energy to make use of on the pitch and make things happen with his golden feet, inspiring football lovers around the world. The Spaniard's intelligence, lethal finishing in front of goal, and deft off the ball movements made him one of the deadliest strikers during his prime.

But the former Barcelona forward was not limited to one fixed position, since he had shown repeatedly the ability to drift out wide and play on the wings which made life even more tough for the ones trying to defend against him.

Despite scoring many critical goals for both his club and his country, Villa's flamboyance often went under the radar as he was unlucky enough to be playing in the same league with the more recognizable stars, such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

David Villa's professional career started at Sporting Gijon B. His first and only season there saw him score 14 times-- a feat which earned him a move right into the senior Gijon team.

The jump to the next level didn't deter him, as Villa, right from the first day onwards, started to add goals to his tally with ease. He ended up with 38 goals from 80 appearances for the club from Gijon. Real Zaragoza took notice of David Villa's goalscoring record which was impressive for a 22-year-old at Sporting Gijon and wrapped up the deal during the summer of 2003.

The striker experienced championship success at Zaragoza during his first season, winning the Copa Del Rey and Supercopa De Espana. It was with Zaragoza that he started hitting the headlines constantly, which led to Valencia securing his services.

David Villa at Valencia

n 2005, Villa couldn't have dreamt for a better first season at the Mestalla with some incredible moments which included scoring a hattrick within 5 minutes, a 50-yard screamer and also a double against Barcelona. It was a particularly delightful season for Villa which earned him his international debut for Spain in 2005.

David Villa was the main man at Valencia scoring at least 20 goals in every season he played for the club. In 2008, under the guidance of Ronald Koeman, Valencia lifted the Copa Del Rey which was their first trophy in four years.

The striker was courted by some major European heavyweights during his five-year stay at the Mestalla. However, Villa remained loyal to the club. Villa's career hit its peak when he was awarded The Silver Boot, scoring 5 times en route to the 2010 World Cup triumph.

Ramos and Villa in sheer delight after the world cup win.

After the World Cup, at 29 years of age, David Villa wanting to add more trophies to his personal closet, sealed a move to Barcelona. He left Valencia for Barcelona with an impressive record of 129 goals in 255 games.

Spanish compatriot Pep Guardiola mostly used David Villa on the wings at Barcelona. The former Valencia striker, renowned for playing as a striker at his previous clubs, still managed to get past that 20 goal mark during his first season at Nou Camp. This included an audacious goal against Manchester United in the 2011 Champions League finals at Wembley, which saw Barcelona lifting the UEFA Champions League trophy.

It did not stop there for Barcelona and David Villa. They conquered both the Spanish and the European Championships. The 2010/11 season saw Guardiola's men miss out on Copa Del Rey but achieve an astonishing table by winning the La Liga, Champions League and Supercopa De Espana.

Messi and David Villa

In his second season for Barcelona, a broken tibia hampered his progress as he missed out on the majority of the 2011/12 season and was forced to withdraw from the Euro 2012 title winning Spain squad. The following season post recovery, David Villa looked off pace and did not cross the 20 goal mark for the first time in eight seasons. This sudden dip in form and fitness forced Barcelona to sell the forward to Atletico Madrid for a modest 5.5 million.

Another astonishing chapter was added in the career of David Villa when Atletico Madrid beat his old side Barcelona at the Nou Camp in the final game of the Spanish Championship to lift the first La Liga title in 18 years. It was Villa's third domestic title in four years.

Finally, David decided to move across the pond to the MLS with New York. The striker is looking threatening at the age of 36, scoring 65 goals in 101 appearances for the American club in a fruitful spell. He believes MLS can one day become a bigger league similar to many other European Leagues. The Spanish striker would love to win a domestic title with New York in the upcoming years as he continues to motor ahead in top speed.

It is very glad to see someone like David Villa getting enough recognition for all the work he has put in selflessly to win many games and trophies with various teams in Spain. Some strikers take time to adjust to the new style of play and gradually improve as the time goes on. However, Villa never needed time to adjust be it at a second division club or New York City.