David Villa: The striker who never forgave mistakes and punished every error

David Villa was the striker who could turn any opponent mistake into a goal. His phenomenon was his incredible concentration and ability to punish the slightest error. Over his career, Villa scored 376 goals in 758 matches, becoming Spain's all-time top scorer with 59 goals in 98 appearances. His composure was evident even in the most tense moments: in the 2009 match against Sporting Gijón, when the entire stadium wondered whether he would refuse to take a penalty against his boyhood club, Villa calmly converted the spot-kick, securing victory for Valencia and lifting them into the Champions League places. He didn't celebrate that goal, lowering his head and apologizing to the fans, but he never missed. At the 2010 World Cup in the match against Honduras, Villa scored twice but then missed a penalty that would have given him a hat-trick. Instead of making excuses, he honestly admitted that he just missed and that there was no pressure because the score was 2-0. This honesty with himself became his trademark. In the 2011 Champions League final against Manchester United, Villa scored a decisive goal with a long-range strike after a brilliant combination, winning the trophy for Barcelona. He was always in the right place at the right time, turning opponents' mistakes into his goals. Remarkably, Villa converted 79 penalties out of 93 throughout his career, but his biggest mistake came in a 2016 match for New York City FC when he slipped while striking the ball and sent it over the bar. That miss cost his team the victory, but he didn't blame the pitch, admitting they needed to improve at their home stadium. Villa remains in memory as the ultimate predator in the box who never forgave mistakes, yet always honestly admitted his own.