José Gayà

Not to be confused with Josep Gayá.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Gayà and the second or maternal family name is Peña.

José Gayà

Gayà playing for Valencia in 2015
Personal information
Full name	José Luis Gayà Peña[1]
Date of birth	(1995-05-25) 25 May 1995 (age 29)[2]
Place of birth	Pedreguer, Spain[2]
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)[2]
Position(s)	Left-back
Team information
Current team	Valencia
Number	14
Youth career
2006–2012	Valencia
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2012–2014	Valencia B	65	(3)
2012–	Valencia	288	(8)
International career^‡
2012	Spain U17	2	(1)
2013	Spain U18	2	(0)
2013–2014	Spain U19	11	(1)
2013	Spain U20	4	(0)
2014–2017	Spain U21	15	(1)
2018–	Spain	22	(3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:32, 19 May 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:51, 19 November 2023 (UTC)

José Luis Gayà Peña (Valencian pronunciation: [dʒoˈze ˈlwis ɡaˈja ˈpeɲa]; born 25 May 1995) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a left-back for La Liga club Valencia, which he captains, and the Spain national team.

An academy graduate of Valencia, he made his senior debut in 2012 and went on to play more than 350 competitive matches for the club, winning the Copa del Rey in 2019.

Gayà appeared in his first full match with the Spain national team in 2018, being selected for Euro 2020.

Club career

Born in Pedreguer, Alicante, Valencian Community, Gayà was a product of Valencia CF's youth system, where he started playing as a striker – scoring over 60 goals in one year – before switching to left-back.^[3] He made his senior debut with the reserves when he was not even 17, playing 21 minutes in a 1–0 away win against Andorra CF in the Segunda División B in what would be his only appearance of the season.^[4]

On 30 October 2012, Gayà appeared in his first official game with the main squad, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 away victory over UE Llagostera in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey.^[5] He made his first appearance in the UEFA Europa League on 12 December of the following year, in a 1–1 group stage home draw with FC Kuban Krasnodar.^[6]

Gayà played his first game in La Liga with the Che on 27 April 2014, starting and featuring the full 90 minutes in a 0–1 home loss against eventual champions Atlético Madrid.^[7] On 3 August, he scored the first goal in a 3–1 defeat of S.L. Benfica in that year's Emirates Cup.^[8]

Gayà was made a starter by new manager Nuno Espírito Santo in the 2014–15 campaign. He scored his first goal as a professional and in the Spanish top flight on 25 September 2014, grabbing his team's second in the 3–0 home victory against Córdoba CF.^[9] His second came in the domestic cup on 7 January of the following year, helping to a 2–1 win over RCD Espanyol also at the Mestalla Stadium.^[10] On 8 May 2015, he renewed his contract with the club, signing until 2020 with a €50 million buyout clause.^[11][12]

Gayà (in blue) playing against Valladolid in May 2019

In May 2018, Gayà agreed to a further extension until 2023 with his release clause increasing to €100 million.^[13] That October, having been part of the side that kept a clean sheet against Manchester United in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League, ESPN FC put him into their Champions League Best XI.^[14] He finished the season with his first honour, assisting Kevin Gameiro's opener in a 2–1 defeat of FC Barcelona in the 2019 Copa del Rey final.^[15]

In March 2020, Gayà and teammates Ezequiel Garay and Eliaquim Mangala tested positive for COVID-19 virus during the coronavirus pandemic in Spain.^[16] That August, due to the economic effects of the pandemic, the entire squad was put up for sale except him.^[17] Having previously filled in as captain in the absence of Dani Parejo,^[18] he took the role permanently as the midfielder was shipped to Villarreal CF.^[19]

Gayà skippered Valencia in the 2022 Copa del Rey final, in which he scored in the penalty shootout that the team lost to Real Betis.^[20] He was suspended for the first four matches of the following league season for criticising the referee's decisions in a game against CA Osasuna; his appeal was rejected at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.^[21] On 19 October that year, he extended his contract to last until 2027.^[22]

International career

Gayà earned 34 caps for Spain across all youth levels. On 26 May 2015, he was called to the full side for a friendly with Costa Rica and a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match against Belarus,^[23] but did not make his debut on either occasion.

Gayà played his first match on 11 September 2018, featuring the entire 6–0 home rout of Croatia in the UEFA Nations League.^[24] On 3 September 2020, for the same competition, he scored the equalising goal in the 97th minute of a 1–1 away draw against Germany.^[25]

On 24 May 2021, Gayà was included in Luis Enrique's 24-man squad for Euro 2020.^[26] His input for the semi-finalists consisted of 77 minutes in the 5–3 extra time victory over Croatia in Copenhagen.^[27]

Gayà was called up for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. In the pre-tournament training camp in Jordan, he suffered a right ankle sprain,^[28] and was replaced by Alejandro Balde.^[29]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 19 May 2024^[30][31]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Copa del Rey		Europe		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Valencia B	2011–12	Segunda División B	1	0	—		—		—		1	0
	2012–13		36	2	—		—		—		36	2
	2013–14		28	1	—		—		—		28	1
	Total		65	3	—		—		—		65	3
Valencia	2012–13	La Liga	0	0	1	0	—		—		1	0
	2013–14		1	0	0	0	3[a]	0	—		4	0
	2014–15		35	1	2	1	—		—		37	2
	2015–16		20	0	5	1	11[b]	0	—		36	1
	2016–17		27	1	3	0	—		—		30	1
	2017–18		34	0	4	0	—		—		38	0
	2018–19		35	1	5	0	9[c]	0	—		49	1
	2019–20		24	0	1	0	6[d]	0	1[e]	0	32	0
	2020–21		33	1	1	0	—		—		34	1
	2021–22		24	2	7	0	—		—		31	2
	2022–23		31	1	2	0	—		1[e]	0	34	1
	2023–24		24	1	3	1	—		—		27	2
	Total		288	8	34	3	29	0	2	0	353	11
Career total			353	11	34	3	29	0	2	0	418	14

1. Appearances in UEFA Europa League
2. Seven appearances in UEFA Champions League, four appearances in UEFA Europa League
3. Five appearances in UEFA Champions League, four appearances in UEFA Europa League
4. Appearances in UEFA Champions League
5. Appearance in Supercopa de España

International

As of match played 19 November 2023^[32]

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Spain
	2018	3	0
	2019	4	1
	2020	5	1
	2021	5	1
	2022	1	0
	2023	4	0
Total		22	3

As of match played 5 September 2021. Spain score listed first, score column indicates score after each Gayà goal.^[32]

List of international goals scored by José Gayà

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	7 June 2019	Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands	Faroe Islands	4–1	4–1	UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying
2	3 September 2020	Mercedes-Benz Arena, Stuttgart, Germany	Germany	1–1	1–1	2020–21 UEFA Nations League A
3	5 September 2021	Nuevo Vivero, Badajoz, Spain	Georgia	1–0	4–0	2022 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Valencia

• Copa del Rey: 2018–19^[33]

Spain U21

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 2017^[34]

References

1. "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – Squad list: Spain (ESP)" (PDF). FIFA. 15 November 2022. p. 27. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
2. "José Luis Gayá". Eurosport. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
3. Cartlidge, David (3 February 2015). "Valencia's latest left-back sensation chased by Arsenal and yet to commit at Mestalla". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
4. "El Mestalla se reencuentra con la victoria gracias al tanto de Portu" [Mestalla find winning ways again thanks to Portu goal]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 30 January 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
5. Aldunate, Ramiro (30 October 2012). "El Valencia resuelve a balón parado" [Valencia get job done through set pieces]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 December 2013.
6. Ramírez, Delfín (12 December 2013). "Kuban exit after Valencia draw". UEFA. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
7. "Garcia goal opens up gap". ESPN FC. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
8. Jones, Max (3 August 2014). "Benfica 1–3 Valencia — Match report". Arsenal F.C. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
9. "Alcácer, Gayà y Feghouli traen el liderato" [Alcácer, Gayà and Feghouli bring first place]. Super Deporte (in Spanish). 26 September 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
10. "El Valencia aprovecha la inercia" [Valencia profit from inertia]. Marca (in Spanish). 7 January 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
11. "José Luis Gayà renews contract through to 2020". Valencia CF. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
12. Álvarez, Fernando (8 May 2015). "Gayá renueva hasta 2020" [Gayá renews until 2020]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 May 2015.
13. "José Luis Gayà signs new five-year Valencia contract". Diario AS. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
14. Ames, Nick (4 October 2018). "Champions League: Lionel Messi, Neymar and Paulo Dybala in team of the week". ESPN. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
15. Lowe, Sid (25 May 2019). "Valencia shock Barcelona in Copa del Rey final despite Messi's best efforts". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
16. "😷 El Valencia revela la identidad de los cinco positivos por coronavirus que tiene" [😷 Valencia reveal the identities of their five positive coronavirus cases] (in Spanish). Eurosport. 15 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
17. Cole, Jackson (12 August 2020). "EL CLEAROUT Valencia 'put entire squad up for sale' except for Jose Gaya in bid raise money as coronavirus devastates club's finances". Talksport. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
18. "Gayà luce por primera vez el brazalete de capitán como titular" [Gayà wears the captain's armband for the first time as a starter]. Super Deporte (in Spanish). 24 February 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
19. Hernández, Toni (18 August 2020). "Capitán Gayà: hay que ayudarle, no generarle más problemas" [Captain Gayà: we have to help him, not cause him more problems] (in Spanish). Deporte Valenciano. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
20. "El Betis levanta su tercera Copa del Rey tras ganar en los penaltis en una final histórica" [Betis lift their third Copa del Rey after winning on penalties in a historic final] (in Spanish). Cadena COPE. 12 April 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
21. Torres, David (11 August 2022). "Escándalo Gayà: el TAD le mantiene la sanción traicionando todos los precedentes" [Gayà scandal: CAS upholds his punishment betraying all precedents] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
22. "Gayà renueva con el Valencia hasta 2027" [Gayà renews with Valencia until 2027]. Sport. 19 October 2022. Retrieved 17 November 2022.
23. Marsden, Sam (26 May 2015). "Espanyol defender Ruben Duarte will train with Del Bosque's Spain squad in June". Sport. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
24. Dunne, Robbie (11 September 2018). "Spain – Croatia match report: UEFA Nations League". Diario AS. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
25. "Germany 1–1 Spain: Gayà saves La Roja". UEFA. 3 September 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
26. Braidwood, Jamie (24 May 2021). "Euro 2020 news LIVE: Sergio Ramos left out of Spain squad plus latest before England announcement". The Independent. Archived from the original on 17 June 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
27. Sanders, Emma (28 June 2021). "Croatia 3–5 Spain". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
28. "Gayà leaves Spain practice with right ankle injury". The Washington Post. 16 November 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
29. "Oficial: Gayà se pierde el Mundial" [Official: Gayà to miss the World Cup]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 18 November 2022. Retrieved 18 November 2022.
30. José Gayà at ESPN FC
31. "José Gayá". Soccerway. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
32. "José Gayá". European Football. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
33. Chowdhury, Saj (25 May 2019). "Barcelona 1–2 Valencia". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
34. "Germany U21 1–0 Spain U21". BBC Sport. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2019.

External links

• Valencia official profile
• José Gayà at BDFutbol
• CiberChe biography and stats (in Spanish)
• José Gayà at National-Football-Teams.com