Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea has overcome a number of challenges to remain as the Red Devils’ undisputed number one stopper.
Arriving from Atletico Madrid during the tenure of Sir Alex Ferguson, there were doubts over the Spaniard’s ability from the off having made a series of high-profile errors. Since then though, De Gea emerged as one of the best shot-stoppers in world football having won back-to-back Players’ Player of the Year awards at Old Trafford for the 2013/14 and 2014/15 seasons.
His excellent displays continued for the 2017/18 campaign as he once again earned the plaudits of his teammates, as well as having won the Premier League Golden Glove come the end of the season.
Despite having briefly lost his number one place to United academy graduate Dean Henderson under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the Red Devils remain as reliant on the Spaniard as ever - as evidenced by another Player of the Year award for 2021/22 alongside a miserable season for the club as a whole.
However, despite the prestige and respect that he has managed to assemble over the past few years, it is not a guarantee that he will be assured of his place under new boss Erik ten Hag. As detailed by The Athletic, the Dutchman has an entirely possession-based outlook on the game and will be attempting to implement that style at Old Trafford.
It is reported that he will request that the goalkeeper selected in his side will be expected to be on board. Whilst it is not suggested that De Gea will be against the instructions of his new manager by any stretch of the imagination, it is a demand that he has struggled with in the past.
For all of his excellent qualities, the stopper is not particularly adept with the ball at his feet. That drawback has seen him lose his place in Luis Enrique’s Spain squad.
The 31-year-old has not added to his 45 Spain caps since a defeat to Ukraine back in October 2020. Unai Simon has since taken his place in the international line-up, with Enrique, pointing to his extra quality on the ball.
"Unai has accumulated some interesting experience. A goalkeeper should start the play and generate the first superiority, they must dominate the aerial play," the 52-year-old explained. "I need a goalkeeper that transmits peace and calmness to me - and that doesn’t mean they won’t make mistakes, errors are part of football. But what they generate I like a lot."
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Adn while De Gea will be wary of the same issue cropping up at club level. one aspect that will always be on his side though is a lack of competition for the number one jersey. Deputy Dean Henderson is on the verge of a loan move to Nottingham Forest, whilst back-up option Lee Grant has retired to take up a coaching role with Ipswich Town.
That leaves just De Gea and veteran Tom Heaton as the club’s senior goalkeeping options and with transfer funds being reserved for the Red Devils’ more pressing priorities this summer, it appears unlikely that a new stopper will arrive in the foreseeable future.
So whilst De Gea could potentially have yet another challenge on his hands to adapt to ten Hag’s style of play, it is one that he will be optimistic of overcoming as he has done in the past.
