David Villa Retires

[Johnny Velvet]

EDIT: Removed

[Sits]

Was perhaps unfortunate to be at Barça during their strikerless period, which sometimes made him into a bit-part. Harsh for such a player.

[Sits]

What this one?

[Satchmo Distel]

IIRC he was messed around with in the 2010 World Cup as well, in a formation that was much duller than the exciting 2008 side.

[Stobart]

He should've retired the minute he was nutmegged by Jim Goodwin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYOQgx6U0j4

[delicatemoth]

One of my favourite players this century. Barcelona and Spain were at their most watchable when he was at his best, he topped off the tiki taka with dazzling lethality.

[Jobi1]

What this one?

"But Claudio Bravo... has got a lot of questions to answer." Quite.

[The Awesome Berbaslug!!!]

What this one?

Meh, I remember Fat John barnes scoring that goal in the mid nineties Against Southampton

Villa was a very good player, who deserved a bit better than being part of the Messi supporting cast in his imperial phase.

[Sporting]

It's funny that the nickname "El guaje" was appropriated for him given that every young lad in Asturias can be called thus.

[Gawpus]

One of my favourite players this century. Barcelona and Spain were at their most watchable when he was at his best, he topped off the tiki taka with dazzling lethality.

Agree 100%

[Lang Spoon]

Aye, he was sadly wasted in his later years. An incredible striker.

[Sporting]

He managed to play for several clubs without being hated or even gently booed by previous ones. A very likeable man.

[Gawpus]

Even likeable enough to overcome the inherent dislikeableness of that weird tiny beard thing he sported for ages. What a guy.

[caja-dglh]

"But Claudio Bravo... has got a lot of questions to answer." Quite.

Yeah, he is still working on them.

[Satchmo Distel]

I wonder if Bravo has made more money from the game than Villa, given he was signed by Barcelona then Man City?

[danielmak]

He was incredible with Valencia, but suffered the fate of many strikers before and after: sold to a bigger club and really didn't match the quality that he showed with Valencia. The only striker that I can think of off the top of my head that continued to do well (and actually did better) was Aduriz. But Villa was excellent during his time with los che: Villa, Silva, Pablito (no longer an "ito" with Leeds).

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

He's also half of the answer to the question "who are the only two players to win the golden boot at the World Cup and the Euros?".

[Felicity, I guess so]

Supported the miners very publicly in the last big closure battles.

Ms Felicity always quite fancied him, which I'm sure was very important to him.