David de Gea has been a staple in goal for all the managers who have been through Old Trafford since his arrival in July 2011, and is now one of the longest-serving players in the current Manchester United side.
After a shaky 18 months, the Spaniard appears to be regaining his form, with a string of excellent saves in recent encounters. He’s just 22 games away from surpassing 500 appearances for United, and he’s maintained 164 clean sheets in his nearly 11-year tenure, nine of which have come this season.
Despite his recent performances, he was unexpectedly left out of Spain’s squad for the current international break. Paul Woolston, who revealed this week that he is hanging up his gloves for good due to a recurrent hip ailment at the age of 23, would have been one of them.
He was got to observe De Gea’s quality up close after joining United from Newcastle’s Under-23s in 2018. Woolston feels the 31-year-old is the best goalie on the planet, extolling his virtues in a post for United’s official website.
He said, “The goalie group here is fantastic.” “For me, David De Gea is the best goalkeeper in the world – some of the things he does in training are beyond words.” He also lauded the club’s back-up shot-stoppers, who collectively have a wealth of expertise.
“Deano (Dean Henderson) is putting a lot of pressure on him, Tom Heaton, Lee Grant… The club’s goalkeepers are among the best in the Premier League. As a young boy coming through, you can learn a lot just by watching them, but they’re also constantly full of helpful advise. The club has put together a fantastic collection of men.”
Woolston went on to describe the magnitude of his hip troubles, which included a period in which he was confined to a wheelchair following a complicated surgery. He talked about how Grant had been a huge help to him during his difficult times.
“Apart from the medical professionals, Granty has been one of the key support systems for me and my family,” the child continued. He’s been absolutely fantastic, just checking in on me to make sure I’m okay.
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“We’ve had some excellent long talks, and it’s been very good to have him at my side and draw on all of his knowledge.” He wasn’t required to do it, and I’m sure he has no idea how valuable his assistance has been.”
