23 year old David de Gea was close to leaving Man United in 2012
Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea has revealed that he had considered leaving the club in 2012, because he struggled to deal with the criticism that he received for his early performances. He made an £18 million move from Atletico Madrid in 2011, a huge price tag for a young goalkeeper, and with this came pressure and expectations.
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He made two errors on his competitive debut for Man United in the curtain-raising Community Shield, followed by errors in the Champions League that helped send his team out the competition. There were questions as to whether de Gea was too skinny for the Premier League, as he would struggle to claim crosses and exert his authority.
“It’s difficult when you get a lot of criticism. But I kept strong. What happened at the start helped me be the player and man I am now,” De Gea told BBC Sport
“When you have bad moments you have to improve. You have to become stronger to deal with it and I believe I have become stronger. I am much better now.”
He has visibly put on muscle since his early struggles and last season he was one Man United player who didn’t underperform under David Moyes. His match-winning performance against Everton on Sunday, saving a penalty and making a string of fine saves, suggests the Spaniard is going to continue that form into the 2014/15 season.
At 23 he still has a lot he can learn, as goalkeepers don’t often reach their peak until their late 20’sor even into their 30’s. His development mirrors that of Thibaut Courtois, who also spent his early years with Atletico Madrid.
You would imagine de Gea and Courtois will continue to be the Premier League’s stand out goalkeepers for many years to come and if Man United in particular can strengthen their defense in front of de Gea they will be very difficult to beat.
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