According to reports, at the time, Raya was Brentford’s goalkeeper and missed three months of action. This gesture is a long-standing tradition at Real Madrid.

David Raya received a letter from Real Madrid while his leg was bandaged. This is a longstanding tradition at the club: showing empathy towards players who suffer serious injuries. This is exactly what happened to the Spanish goalkeeper. In October 2021, during a match against Leicester City, Raya collided with Ayoze Pérez and suffered the worst injury of his career: a posterior cruciate ligament tear in his left knee. Despite the pain, he continued playing but was later sidelined for three months.

Raya avoided surgery but underwent a tough rehabilitation period. From October 24 to February 5, he was unable to play. During this time, he received a letter from Real Madrid, signed by Emilio Butragueño, the club’s director of public relations. Raya has never publicly declared himself a Real Madrid fan but has stated that Iker Casillas was one of his biggest childhood idols.

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Real Madrid intended to show their support for Raya through this gesture. At the time, he was Brentford’s goalkeeper, newly promoted to the Premier League, but his name was already shining on bigger stages. Just 49 days after his return, Raya was called up to the Spanish national team for the first time and now holds a permanent spot. The injury is now behind him, and Real Madrid’s letter remains a cherished memory.

The club has previously done the same for players like Claudio Bravo (Manchester City, 2018) and even Antonio Rüdiger (right knee cruciate ligament tear, 2016). This support was Real Madrid’s humanitarian gesture for David Raya during his darkest days.