David de Gea’s journey in the Barclays Premier League is a great example of how world-class talent still requires determination, self-belief, hard-work and resilience.
Club: Manchester United FC
National Team: Spain
DOB: 7/11/1990
Having joined Manchester United in 2011 for a record British fee for a goalkeeper of £17.8m, the expectation on de Gea was huge. It was widely accepted that the Spaniard was a word-class shot-stopper, but his ability to adapt to the physicality of the English game wasn’t always such a given.
After a testing start to his Old Trafford career, de Gea is now arguably United’s key player and is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers on the planet.
As we approach the climax of the 2014/15 campaign it is probably a fair assessment to say that Manchester United still remain a team in transition, but under the stewardship of Dutchman Louis Van Gaal, the Red Devils are looking stronger with every game.
Whilst earlier in the season some of the Old Trafford faithful were frustrated with the manner of the team’s performances, the three-times European champions still managed to grind out results and this was in no small part due to the brilliance of de Gea.
The United goalkeeper at times has looked unbeatable, consistently producing match-winning saves at pivotal moments. In November this resulted in the Spanish international being voted the PFA Fans’ Player of the Month.
Source: DSG
