da supremo： David De Gea has endured quite a journey since his arrival at Manchester United in the summer of 2011.
da betsul： It all began in difficult fashion for the Spaniard, with many failing see how the Atletico Madrid ‘keeper justified an at the time British record fee £18m for a goalie.
His first season was full of criticism, media attention and rumours a return to Spain could be on the cards. But it never came, and De Gea stuck to his guns despite some pretty horrific gaffes that showed us why being a goalkeeper is such a hard task
But Sir Alex Ferguson showed us, just as he has numerous times in the past, why he is one of the game’s greatest managers. De Gea came good, and he has turned into arguably the Premier League’s best No.1.
And last weekend De Gea only furthered his growing reputation as the nation’s strongest man between the sticks with a fantastic performance that gave United a 1-0 victory over fierce rivals Liverpool. If the truth be told, Liverpool were on top throughout large spells of the game and United fans have De Gea largely to thank for the vital three points, which somewhat takes the pressure off the beleaguered shoulders of Louis van Gaal.
And it was all in front of United’s last goalkeeping great – Peter Schmeichel. The Dane was and always will be a hero at Old Trafford, and it’s not outrageous to suggest that if he carries on the same way, De Gea could be granted the same status.
He’s been named as United’s player of the year for the past two seasons in a row and is held in huge esteem by Van Gaal’s management, and by his fellow colleagues.
£100m was spent by the Red Devils this summer, but their best bit of business was definitely by keeping hold of De Gea.
Not only was a transfer to Real Madrid on the cards, it was widely anticipated by both sets of fans. The United support were gritting their teeth hoping one of their best assets wasn’t going to depart, whilst Los Blancos supporters were ‘muy contento’ with the seemingly inevitable deal.
And then came the mysterious ‘paperwork mishap’. Whether it was the work experience boy or one of the managing directors who couldn’t work the fax machine, it’s the only reason United remain in the hunt for a Champions League place. In other words, give that man a pay rise!
Memphis Depay, Morgan Schneiderlin and Anthony Martial all cost in excess of £20m each, and they have all had varying degrees of success. Meanwhile De Gea is worth at least the combined sum of the above three players for his performances this season, which have continued to keep United in the hunt for a top-four finish.
By no means was Liverpool away De Gea’s busiest performance of the campaign, but it was a crucial one nonetheless.
Speaking of Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar, De Gea said earlier this week: “They were the greatest goalkeepers in the Premier League. They are legends for this club and that is all I want.”
There is little doubt that in five, ten or even fifteen years’ time, United’s next crop of youngsters will be coming through, looking up to their idols for advice, tips and inspiration.
De Gea may only be 25, but he’s not far away from superstar status, and a Manchester United legacy.
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