Gayà passes Saura with 401 Valencia appearances after Oviedo landmark | OneFootball

José Luis Gayà has overtaken Enrique Saura in Valencia’s all-time list, now on 401 official appearances.

He drew level on 14 March 2026 against Real Oviedo with 400, then moved past the mark soon after. According to Superdeporte, the captain and the Castellón-born great met at the Camp de Mestalla to reflect on the milestone.

Gayà said the total is a source of pride and he hopes there are many more to come. He added that he has concentrated on building his games rather than chasing names, though surpassing figures such as Saura makes the scale clear.

Saura spent 10 seasons at Valencia from 1975 to 1985, winning the Copa in 1979, the Recopa in 1979-80 and the Supercopa in 1980-81. He urged Gayà to stay humble, follow the coach, help team-mates and continue as the team’s standard-bearer.

Gayà joined the Valencia academy at 11 and has long shown commitment to the club. He debuted for the first team on 30 October 2012 in the Copa del Rey against UE Llagostera, later becoming the second-youngest to reach 350 official games, behind Fernando Gómez Colomer at 27 years and 239 days.

He became captain at 24, calling the role a major responsibility at a historic club and saying he has aimed to lead by focusing on the game and representing fans and the city. The pair closed by hailing Mestalla’s backing, with Saura rating the support as 10 out of 10, saying it protects and motivates players.

Source: Superdeporte