Is David De Gea a Manchester United legend?

David De Gea has been United’s first choice goalie for pretty much all of his decade-long spell at the club. However, last year he was finally dislodged by Dean Henderson and it’s questionable whether he can regain the number one jersey from Henderson. A lot of people would say that De Gea’s best days are over though he is still only 30, which is quite young for a goalkeeper. Regardless of whether De Gea’s United career is over or not, after a decade of service it seems fitting to consider whether he has become a club legend or not.

Tough start for De Gea

When De Gea first signed for United from Atletico back in 2011, it seemed that he lacked the physicality and presence to replace the outgoing Edwin Van Der Sar. One thing that was never in doubt was his shot-stopping abilities and reflexes, with De Gea pulling off some seemingly impossible saves, just as a certain Peter Schmeichel once did. After some initial teething difficulties and bulking up, De Gea became more consistent and found some form, becoming a key part of Sir Alex’s 2013 title-winning side.

The Golden Years

Ironically, it was only after Sir Alex left that De Gea grew in stature and played well enough to deserve to be considered a club legend. Throughout Moyes, Van Gaal and Mourinho eras (2013-18), he was the only player who never dipped in form or confidence and maintained an impressive level of consistency. It was in this period he became a truly world class goalkeeper and the fact he won the club’s player of the season award 4 years running says it all. At times it seemed like De Gea was the only United player who was playing well. Given how poor the defenders in front of him were (Smalling, Young, Jones, Blind etc.), that just showed how well De Gea was playing. During this period, if De Gea hadn’t been in goal, United would be finishing 7th or 8th in the league and wouldn’t have won any trophies.

Decline and no longer first choice

However, since Solskjaer was appointed, De Gea’s never really found the form that made him a world class player and has made plenty of errors and costly mistakes, though there have still been some standout performances in that time. It would be fair to say that De Gea’s decline was due to a lack of competition as he was the automatic first choice. Romero was a good back-up keeper but nothing more and De Gea never really faced any serious competition for his spot until Henderson came along. It’s unclear which one of them will be first-choice next season.

To determine whether De Gea is a legend or not it seems right to compare him to other United goalkeepers who are legends. De Gea has similar reflexes and agility to Peter Schmeichel, though certainly lacks the Dane’s vocal presence and sheer force. Van Der Sar also brought a quiet authority which De Gea seemed to lack. However, both of those keepers played in vastly superior teams to the ones De Gea has played in. Schmeichel had Stam, Bruce and Pallister, Van Der Sar had Vidic and Ferdinand whilst De Gea got Smalling, Young and Jones to protect him. Though his performances have declined for United in recent years, he has been an incredible servant to the club and survived many eras and managers, playing a massive 441 times for the Red Devils. For longevity and sheer quality alone, De Gea has definitely earned the right to be called a Man Utd legend.