For the most part, David de Gea has been an admirable servant to Manchester United.
Since his arrival in 2011 from Atletico Madrid, De Gea has made more than 500 appearances for the Reds. The road has not always been smooth for the Spaniard but, more often than not, he has produced when it matters.
De Gea could have easily left Old Trafford before now, especially when he was a consistent performer in disappointing teams. But his loyalty remained and, since then, the 32-year-old has established himself as a senior pro in the dressing room.
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At present, the captaincy situation at United needs resolving. Harry Maguire currently holds the armband but he is out of favour, with Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane preferred.
Bruno Fernandes has been filling in but De Gea has proven with recent comments why he can be trusted if needed. In a recent interview with United's website, the goalkeeper explained his role in the dressing room.
"Now I'm open, I was very shy when I was young, I was super shy," he explained. "With the years you have to get more confident in yourself and talk with everyone.
"I've been here many years, so I'm one of the most experienced here. I try to help everyone, if someone has a problem, I'll be there and talk to them and just be an example.
"My feeling is, it's much easier now than 10 years ago because it's easier for younger people to come into the dressing room and talk to everyone. It's super simple, but 10 years ago, it was tough.
"There were people, very experienced people, older people, and it was difficult to connect with them and try to talk to them. It's easier now, but of course, it's still difficult for some [new signings].
"It can be a new league, new weather, everything can be new, but it's easier than before. I think football has changed a lot, so now it's easy to talk with everyone. For me, 10 years ago, it was tough [coming into the dressing room]."
De Gea's ability to connect with younger members of the squad and unite them is a key skill for any captain. Let us not forget that he has previously mentioned his desire to captain United more often.
Speaking back in 2019, he admitted: "I’ve been captain for some games. Of course, it is amazing to be captain of a club like Manchester United and defend this badge.
"It’s amazing, so of course I’ll be really, really happy to captain. It’s my ninth season, I feel like one of the most experienced players."
This eagerness to captain the club coupled with his ability to unite the dressing room makes him a perfect option to take the armband if called upon. Erik ten Hag now has a couple of options if he needs to rotate the captaincy and that will be seen as a positive.
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