Sportskeeda Football Awards 2016: Goalkeeper of the Year

#4 David de Gea (Reader’s Rank: 1 | Sportskeeda’s Rank: 5 | Average Score: 8)

David de Gea is arguably Manchester United’s most important player

The first player ever to win three consecutive Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year awards for Manchester United, David de Gea is doing justice to his 'Dave Saves' moniker with every passing game. Manchester United's status as the club with the biggest fan base was arguably the reason the Spaniard topped our readership's poll with 35% of the votes cast in his favour but de Gea is more than just a fan favourite.

No doubt, United fans will be outraged that De Gea only makes it to 4th in our list, but his numbers aren't all that great this calendar year. De Gea has the third worst saves-per-goal ratio among the top 10, while also not having the best of distribution rates at 69%. 42 goals conceded in 39 appearances aren’t the numbers of a Goalkeeper of the Year, and his performances for Spain weren’t much better either.

Yet, despite a dip in his personal stats, De Gea retains the ability to produce an absolutely ridiculous save in a pivotal moment. Just witness his save against Philippe Coutinho to earn United a precious point this season. There aren't many in the world who can pull it off, and I wouldn't bet against the Spaniard making similar saves to top our list next year.

David de Gea: 2016 Calendar Stats
Appearances	39
Clean Sheets	13
Goal Conceded	42
Saves	84
Saves per Goal	2
Penalties Conceded/Saved	4/0
Distribution Success Rate	69%