Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes passed on his congratulations to David de Gea after the goalkeeper chalked up his 500th appearance for the club during Sunday's goalless draw with Newcastle United.
De Gea, who joined United 11 years ago from Spanish giants Atletico Madrid, became just the second goalkeeper in the Reds' history to play 500 games or more for the club, joining legendary shot-stopper Alex Stepney. De Gea posed with Stepney ahead of his pre-match warm-up for a short presentation, in which the latter was given a framed shirt as a gift for his recent 80th birthday.
Ahead of kick-off, De Gea was presented with an engraved plate by former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson in a special ceremony pitchside. Cristiano Ronaldo was also presented with a similar gong for his recent achievement of scoring the 700th goal of his club career.
READ MORE: United might have discovered their most important player in Newcastle draw
Although United failed to mark De Gea's landmark appearance with a victory, he did, of course, manage to secure a clean sheet, which will have undoubtedly meant something special to him. And for current stand-in captain Fernandes, he described it as an 'honour' to be able to play alongside the Spain international.
Fernandes, posting on his Instagram account, said: "500 times DDG. Something that should make you and everyone that [has] followed you through these 11 years really proud of the achievement!
"It's an honour for me to share many moments with you and more to come."
On reaching 500 games for United, which is something only a select few can say they have achieved, De Gea, speaking in the build-up to the draw with Newcastle, said: "I think it’s something crazy.
"To play 500 games for this club is very special for me, of course, but probably I will realise more when I stop playing football when I retire and then look back and say 'OK, I played more than 500 games for a massive club like United'. I'm super proud and it's amazing, to be honest."
Former United midfielder Juan Mata also sent a congratulatory message to De Gea on his own Instagram account.
"Not always gets the credit, never complains, always keeps working, PROUD OF YOU, 500 games at Manchester United and more to come. LEGEND."
READ NEXT:
