This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is de Gea and the second or maternal family name is Quintana.
David de Gea Quintana (Spanish pronunciation: [daˈβið ðe ˈxea kinˈtana]; born 7 November 1990) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for English clubManchester United and for the Spanish National Team.
Born in Madrid, he started his career aged 13 with Atlético Madrid and rose through the academy system at the club before making his senior debut in 2009. After being made Atlético's first-choice goalkeeper, he helped the team win both the UEFA Europa League and theUEFA Super Cup in 2010. His performances attracted the attention of Manchester United, whom he joined in June 2011 for £17.8 million, a British record for a goalkeeper.
Since joining United, he has made over 100 appearances and won one Premier League winners medal, in 2013. He has been hailed as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.[3][4]
De Gea was the captain for the Spain under-21 national side which won the European Championship in 2011 and2013, and also competed in the 2012 Olympics. He made his debut for thesenior team in 2014 and was selected for that year's World Cup, and has been tipped by many as the successor to Iker Casillas as Spain's long-term goalkeeper.[5]
Club career
De Gea playing for Atlético Madrid in 2010
Atlético Madrid
Born in Madrid and raised in the town ofIllescas,[6] De Gea joined Atlético Madridat the age of 13 when his then-coach Juan Luis Martín lied to the club thatRayo Vallecano were set to sign him. A few days later, Diego Díaz Garridoscouted De Gea and signed him immediately.[6][7] He eventually made his way up through the youth ranks at the club before signing his first professional contract in 2008, aged 17, contracting him to Atlético until 2011.[8]He spent his second season for Atlético Madrid B in Segunda División B. In the summer of 2009, De Gea was approached by Numancia and English team Queens Park Rangers with regards to a loan move, with Atlético sporting director Jesús García Pitarchpushing for him to move to Numancia. De Gea rejected the approach, and was punished by being forced to train by himself.[9] Weeks later, Atlético managerAbel Resino noticed De Gea training alone and invited him to train with the first team, where he was rated as the third-choice goalkeeper.[9] The same summer, Atlético rejected an offer from English team Wigan Athletic for a permanent transfer for De Gea.[10]
With first-choice goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo away on international duty at the2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup, De Gea was called up to the senior side as cover forRoberto. He made his debut for the Atlético first-team at the age of 18 on 30 September 2009, coming on as a substitute after Roberto was injured after 27 minutes of Atlético's UEFA Champions League Group Stage match away to FC Porto; De Gea conceded two late goals as Atlético lost 2–0.[11]Roberto's injury meant that De Gea was given his La Liga debut three days later, at home to Real Zaragoza; he gave away a penalty kick in the 19th minute, but immediately redeemed himself by saving Marko Babić's attempt in an eventual 2–1 win.[11][12] He described starting at the Vicente Calderón Stadium as a "dream since childhood".[13] In January 2010, De Gea was touted as a possible replacement for Manchester United goalkeeperEdwin van der Sar, who was set to retire in 2011.[14] Days later, however, he signed a new contract which would keep him with Atlético until 2013.[15]
After some costly mistakes by Asenjo, and the arrival of Quique Flores as manager, De Gea finished the 2009–10 season as the starting "number one". He won two man of the match awards along the way,[16] against Athletic Bilbaoand Valencia CF. Additionally, he appeared in eight games in the club'svictorious UEFA Europa Leaguecampaign, including the 2–1 final winagainst Fulham.[17] Diego Forlán later said of his first season: "David was good enough for the top level at 19 and the players had confidence in him".[9]
This boy is as cold as a wolf. He has composure, nerve and self-confidence. The pressures that others might feel don't affect him.
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— Atlético youth goalkeeping coach Ángel Mejías in 2010.[18]
De Gea started 2010–11 in impressive fashion, helping Atlético win the season's UEFA Super Cup. In the 90th minute of the 2–0 win againstInternazionale, he saved a Diego Militopenalty kick.[19] In September, it was reported that Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson had missed aLeague Cup game with Scunthorpe United to travel to Spain to watch De Gea in action against Valencia.[20][21] De Gea played down the rumours, saying "The important thing is that I have a contract here and I'm an Atletico player until 2013".[22]
Even though he's still growing physically and mentally, he's already on the road to becoming one of the best keepers around. Any other outcome would be a disappointment.
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— Atlético goalkeeping coach Diego Díaz Garrido in 2010.[18]
Following his "faultless" performance in the Madrid derby on 7 November, De Gea was hailed as the heir apparent toReal Madrid's goalkeeper Iker Casillasfor Spain,[23] a sentiment Casillas agreed with, saying "In Spain we are lucky to have very good goalkeepers and De Gea soon be fighting my place in the team", while Spain manager Vicente Del Bosque described De Gea as "the future of the team".[24] He remained the undisputed starting goalkeeper for the remainder of the season, going on to play in every La Liga game for the team en route to a seventh place finish.
Manchester United
The first half of 2011 saw a great deal of speculation regarding how Manchester United would replace their retiring goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, and much attention focused on De Gea, among others.[25] After Gary Neville's testimonial against Juventus on 24 May, United manager Sir Alex Fergusonclaimed that a deal had been done to bring De Gea to Old Trafford, but this was later denied by the player's representatives and the Atlético management, with De Gea stating that he would not consider his future until after the UEFA Under-21 Championship.[26] Following Spain's victory in the tournament, De Gea was spotted in Manchester undergoing a medical with United on 27 June.[27] The next day, he reported that United were making him a contract offer, and the transfer was confirmed on 29 June for a British record fee for a goalkeeper of around £17.8 million.[28]
Growing up, De Gea had admired United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel,[29] and was often compared to van der Sar, furthered by being dubbed "Van Der Gea".[30]
2011–12 season
De Gea is high, has good feet, comes with authority and is agile... has everything to be one of the greatest goalkeepers in the next ten years.
“
”
— Edwin van der Sar, who De Gea replaced at Manchester United.[31]
De Gea made his first appearance for Manchester United in a 3–1 friendly win over Chicago Fire on 23 July 2011.[32]He made his competitive debut for United against Manchester City in theCommunity Shield on 7 August. Despite being caught out in the first half by a header from Joleon Lescott and a long range Edin Džeko strike that put City into a 2–0 lead, United rallied in the second half and won 3–2.[33] De Gea made his league debut for Manchester United against West Bromwich Albion a week later, where he received criticism for failing to save Shane Long's goal during a 2–1 United victory,[34] which Ferguson described as "a learning process".[35] De Gea kept his first clean sheet for United on his Old Trafford debut in the following fixture, a 3–0 victory against Tottenham Hotspur.[36]In the following game, six days later, De Gea saved a penalty from Arsenalcaptain Robin van Persie, which would have cancelled out United's 1–0 lead. He made further saves to deny Van Persie and Andrei Arshavin in United's 8–2 victory.[37] Teammate Wayne Rooney backed De Gea to succeed at United and hailed him as a "strong character".[38]
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De Gea playing for Manchester United in 2012
On 18 September, Manchester United beat Chelsea 3–1 at Old Trafford, with De Gea making a string of impressive saves, particularly from Ramires — when the midfielder had an empty net to side-foot home, De Gea quickly got across to smother the ball away. De Gea's improvement in form continued in his next game, as he made two stunning saves to help his side to a 1–1 draw away at Stoke City,[39] and his overall performance was praised by team-mates Patrice Evra and Darren Fletcher.[40] De Gea made his first everUEFA Champions League start in a 3–3 draw against FC Basel on 27 September 2011. On 15 October, De Gea was praised for his efforts at Anfield as United drew 1–1 against Liverpool, providing important saves in a nerve-free performance,[41] prompting Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish to joke "I thought the press said the boy was struggling".[42]
On 23 October 2011, he played as Manchester United suffered their worst home defeat since 1955 with a 6–1 loss against cross-town rivals Manchester City,[43] the first time United had conceded six at home since 1930.[44] De Gea was in goal during the league defeat to Blackburn Rovers and was blamed by most media for failing to deal with an aerial ball which led to the conceding a late goal to Grant Hanley in a 3–2 defeat.[45] De Gea was nonplussed by the error, saying "all keepers make mistakes once in a while and none of us like it when we do. I have every intention of spending many years here at Manchester United. I want to become a great United keeper and I want to earn and deserve the respect I hope to get",[46] and spoke of his intentions of surpassing his predecessor, "Hopefully, I will equal or even surpass the performance and contribution Edwin van der Sar made to the club".[47] After this game, De Gea was dropped and replaced by United's second-choice keeper, Anders Lindegaard.[48] An injury to Lindegaard saw De Gea return to the starting line-up for a 3–3 draw with Chelsea atStamford Bridge on 5 February 2012.[49]De Gea later cited his last-minute save from Juan Mata during this match as the turning point in his season, as he went on to play the club's last 19 matches, keeping eight clean sheets.[50]
After a difficult first season in England, De Gea said "There have been doubts in the first season but I always had faith in my ability. The pressure at an elite club like United is huge but Ferguson just told me to do what I did at Atletico. You have to be as strong when things go wrong but I don't get nervous. Mistakes are normal; everyone makes them".[51]His goalkeeping rival Lindegaard, however, promised to fight for the place he lost via injury, saying "I want the number one spot because I am the best. I am sure he is a bit in front right now because he did well last season, so I need to take every chance I get to prove myself worthy of the number one spot".[52] De Gea later admitted that he thought about leaving after the first season.[53]
2012–13 season
Due to his involvement in the 2012 Olympics, De Gea missed Manchester United's pre-season tour, but nevertheless returned to the starting line-up for the opening game of the season against Everton. Despite some "outstanding" saves from De Gea, United lost 1–0.[54] In the next game, a 3–2 win at home to Fulham, he made some noteworthy saves from Mladen Petrić, Mousa Dembélé, and Bryan Ruiz; in attempting to claim a cross fromMatthew Briggs, however, a misunderstanding with Nemanja Vidićled to the Serbian defender putting the ball in his own net for Fulham's second goal.[55]
I've no doubts that David De Gea can be a top goalkeeper, one of the best in the world. He's physically going to mature in the next 18 months and he needs a championship.
“
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— Gary Neville in 2013.[56]
On 9 December, De Gea made back-to-back saves from Manchester City'sCarlos Tevez and David Silva, helping United to a 3–2 Manchester Derby win at the City of Manchester Stadium.[57] In the next match, a 3–1 win againstSunderland at Old Trafford, De Gea produced an important double-save from Craig Gardner and Stéphane Sessègnon's follow-up.[58]
De Gea received criticism from former United captain Gary Neville for a punch which allowed Tottenham Hotspur to scored a stoppage time equaliser in a 1–1 draw at White Hart Lane on 20 January 2013, saying: "You've got to learn the hard way and he's learning in a very unforgiving environment where he's judged continuously at the highest level. There's a theory that he saved Manchester United because he made two or three great saves, but unfortunately that's a waste of time. He played well yesterday, but playing well for 92-and-a-half minutes and then doing that in the 93rd is a problem at a club like that".[56] Ferguson responded by saying De Gea's critics were "idiots".[59] On 13 February 2013, De Gea made several saves to help United to a 1–1 draw against Real Madrid at theSantiago Bernabéu in the first leg of the last-16 of the Champions League, and was praised by manager Alex Ferguson for his "excellent" performance,[60] one which was said to have turned him from "villain to hero" and made him "come of age".[61][62]
You bring a boy into the Premier League at 20, it's not easy. He's learning in the toughest environment in the world. But the one thing he has is fantastic inner strength. We teach him that the calmest man on the field has to be the goalkeeper. And one of his great strengths is his calmness.
“
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— goalkeeping coach Eric Steele in 2013.[63]
On 23 February, De Gea recorded his second consecutive clean sheet for United, stopping a Loïc Rémy shot and aChristopher Samba header to help United to 2–0 victory over Queens Park Rangers.[64] This was followed by a 4–0 win at Old Trafford against Norwich Cityon 2 March.[65] Another clean sheet came on 16 March in a 1–0 victory against Reading.[66] De Gea was on the receiving end of a controversial aerial challenge by West Ham United strikerAndy Carroll that left him "poleaxed", with Ferguson expressing his disbelief at the lack of a red card.[67]
De Gea's form throughout the season was recognised by his peers, culminating in being voted into the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.[68] De Gea ended the season with his firstPremier League winner's medal with United, making 28 appearances and keeping 11 clean sheets, as the team topped the Premier League table by 11 points. This placed him joint-fifth in the race for the Premier League Golden Glove.
2013–14 season
He has huge faith in himself, which is a really important virtue. He doesn't let anything affect him. The day he makes a mistake he knows he has made a mistake but it never sinks him. He uses it to make sure that he doesn't make the mistake next time. It's a great quality.
“
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De Gea's season began with a clean sheet in the 2–0 win over Wigan Athleticin the Community Shield at Wembley.[70]On 5 October 2013, De Gea's save to deny Sunderland's Emanuele Giaccherini during a 2–1 away win was described by former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, as one of the best saves ever seen in the Premier League.[71] Manager David Moyesagreed with Schmeichel's assessment, describing the save was a "turning point" in a game in which they were losing 1–0 at the time,[72] and said De Gea "is improving all the time".[73]
On 1 December, he made his 100th appearance for Manchester United in a 2–2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur.[74] He received the backing of team-mate Darren Fletcher, when, in theLeague Cup semi-final second leg against Sunderland on 22 January 2014, De Gea was deemed to be at fault when he let a weak Phil Bardsley shot past him deep into extra-time;[75][76] aJavier Hernández goal soon after left the aggregate score at 3–3, resulting in a penalty shoot-out, where De Gea's penalty saves from Steven Fletcher andAdam Johnson weren't enough to help United advance, losing 2–1.[77] On 20 March, whilst playing againstOlympiacos in the first knockout stageof the Champions League as United came from 2–0 down to win 3–2 on aggregate, De Gea made a crucial double-save before half-time which was said to have defied "all known laws of physics and physiology" in a performance described as "magnificent".[78] Teammate Phil Jonesclaimed that "he's up there with the best goalkeepers in the world".[79] De Gea's performances throughout the season saw him named as both the club's Players' Player of the Year and Fans' Player of the Year.[80]
2014–15 season
We are now seeing a huge improvement in his game. And he is winning United match after match, which is what I expect from a United goalkeeper. He has now become a great goalkeeper.
“
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— Gary Neville in 2014.[81]
De Gea helped United secure back-to-back victories for the first time under their new manager Louis van Gaal in a home victory against Everton on 5 October 2014. During the match, De Gea made three important saves, including one penalty from Leighton Baines, to help United secure a 2–1 win in which he was voted by Manchester United fans as Man Of The Match.[82] He became the first goalkeeper to stop a penalty from Baines, who had previously converted all of his 14 Premier League penalties.[83] After several vital stops against Everton, West Brom and Chelsea, he was named Manchester United's Player of the Month for October.[84] On 14 December, De Gea was awarded the man of the match for his "oustanding" performance against Liverpool,[85] making eight saves in a 3–0 victory,[86] a performance rated as the best of thePremier League season.[87
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