According to TA reports, in the summer window of 2014, the 19-year-old Raya was loaned to the fifth-level team Southport by Blackburn.
At the level of the Southport team, the pitch is bumpy, the tackles are quite rough, and every time there is a slight collision between the opponent and the goalkeeper, the referee does not call a foul every time. Money was tight and away fans watched games from shallow cement stands without roofs or coverings, meaning they got soaked every time it poured. In short, it's a far cry from the glamorous, action-packed and lucrative Premier League.
Rob, a die-hard Southport fan and club program editor Urwin recalled: "Raya was put directly into the starting lineup on his first day at Southport. We lost 3-0 at Macclesfield and his performance was absolutely terrible. It's not entirely his fault because our defense was really weak at the time. But he was a bit shaky. I They were thinking, 'Oh my God, what have we done?'"
"The next game we lost 0-1 and he conceded five goals against Woking, and luckily the next manager lost his job. Gary Brabin stepped up his defense and Raya started to show everyone his real quality."
"He came to our team on loan from Blackburn. At that level, he was used to having everything arranged for him. However, at Southport, he had to take the jersey home and wash it himself. Boots. I think he then realized, 'Wait a minute, this is real football.'"
Raya himself recalls a time when he was "knocked down, every corner, every free kick, I was getting elbowed" and when the Southport players trained three times a week on the university's spare pitch.
"When you are loaned out, especially in the National League, players really work hard and are eager to get 3 points, which has a great impact on their income and helps them pay off their mortgages."
"Many players have to work and play. We played away games on Tuesday and didn't get home until around 4 a.m., and they had to get up at six or seven to go to work. This is really a rare learning experience for me."
source:vn 7m vn