David De Gea: The Goalkeeper who kept a club relevant

On Saturday, the entire footballing world and especially Manchester United fans were stunned as David De Gea or DDG as he affectionately came to be called, announced he was leaving Manchester United after 12 years. He was their longest serving player having made 545 appearances across all competitions and kept a club record 190 clean sheets. His departure came in the backdrop of United’s interest in signing Inter Milan shot stopper Andre Onana and despite DDG being in talks over a new contract.

David de Gea’s journey as a Manchester United player began in 2011, when he was signed from Atlético Madrid for a British record fee for a goalkeeper of £18.9 million. According to reports, Sir Alex Ferguson personally went to watch him play before deciding to sign him to replace Edwin Van der Sar who had just retired. Despite a difficult first season, he recovered and quickly established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He made his competitive debut in a 3-2 win over city rivals Manchester City in the 2011 Community Shield and went on to become the club’s first choice goalkeeper over the next 12 years.

He was named as the club’s best players 4 times (2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2017-18) something unprecedented for a goalkeeper, He was a key player whose saves often singlehandedly won games for the club as they struggled to cope in the post fergie era. Who can forget that famous double save against Arsenal in 2016 in a match where he made 14 saves. 6 managers have been at the club (7 if you include Ryan Giggs and his 4 games stint as player manager) since 2013 and they all preferred him as their first choice. The pinnacle of his career came in 2018 when he was named in the FIFA FIFPro World 11 despite Manchester United having a horrendous campaign. That is a testament to his importance in the team and his key role at keeping the club relevant at a time when the ownership was least bothered and the club was doing a poor job at replicating the Galacticos concept that helped Real Madrid become one of the most dominant club of the 21st century.

However over the last few years, his powers began to wane. His once near indomitable shot stopping skills began to fail him at key moments as mistakes crept into his game. It didn’t help his cause that the role of the goalkeeper changed with the arrival of Pep Guardiola in the Premier League. Goalkeepers were expected to now be as comfortable with the ball at their feet as they were at saving goals. They were expected to come off their line and sweep loose balls as well as vocally guide the back line. While DDG tried to work on these aspects, it became obvious that his strength was only at shot stopping. The game moved on as he stood still, quite literally.

While there is a tremendous amount of goodwill for the player, over the last 2 years it has become obvious that if Manchester United are to ever compete for major titles, it cannot be with David in goal. Even though the club was in talks for a new deal, the mistakes in key games against Sevilla and West Ham would have played on their minds. The final straw was the FA Cup final against Man City as two costly errors by DDG cost Man Utd the trophy. With his contract expiring and the very real possibility of signing Onana, it seemed right to not give him a new contract. While this decision is coming 2 years late, it seems like Man Utd are finally ready to make decisions based on football rather than just money and emotions.

There will be takers for the player, with reported interest from Juventus, Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain. Wherever he goes, he will no doubt be a success. For Manchester United, this is the first time in over 37 years that a player signed by Sir Alex Ferguson will not be playing at the club. They can finally shake off the shackles that came with Sir Alex’s legacy and move into the new era. This could be Manchester United’s Golden Dawn.