Who is De Gea?
Tipped by many as the successor to Iker Casillas as Spain's long-term goalkeeper, De Gea was the captain for the Spain under-21 national team that won the European Championship in 2011 and 2013, and also competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics.
When did De Gea join Atlético?
Born in Madrid and raised in Illescas, De Gea joined Atlético Madrid at the age of 13 when his then coach Juan Luis Martín lied to the club that Rayo Vallecano were set to sign him. A few days later, Diego Díaz Garrido scouted De Gea and signed him immediately. He 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. 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 Pitarch pushing for him to move to Numancia. De Gea rejected the approach, and was punished by being forced to train by himself. Weeks later, Atlético manager Abel Resino noticed De Gea training alone and invited him to train with the first team, where he was rated as the third-choice goalkeeper. The same summer, Atlético rejected an offer from English team Wigan Athletic for a permanent transfer for De Gea.
How many clean sheets did De Gea keep?
The 2018–19 season began with De Gea keeping just five clean sheets in his first 25 appearances. The start of 2019, however, saw him manage the same number in just eight appearances, including a 1–0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on 13 January 2019, in which he made 11 saves to keep Spurs off the scoresheet, the second most by a goalkeeper in any one Premier League match, behind only his 14 saves against Arsenal a year earlier. His clean sheet against Liverpool on 24 February was his 100th for Manchester United in the Premier League, making him the seventh goalkeeper to reach that milestone for a single club in the competition and the second for Manchester United after Peter Schmeichel. In April, De Gea suffered a run of poor form; being criticised by fans and pundits for mistakes made in losses to Barcelona, Everton, Manchester City, and a 1–1 draw against Chelsea. De Gea ended the season with just 7 clean sheets in 38 Premier League appearances, his lowest tally during his time at Manchester United, and kept only 10 clean sheets all season for the club.
Why was De Gea not selected for the Premier League?
On 7 August 2015, Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal confirmed that De Gea would not be considered for selection for United's Premier League opener against Tottenham the following day, due to the uncertainty surrounding his future. On 13 August, Van Gaal revealed that De Gea had requested to goalkeeping coach Frans Hoek that he be left out of the team. De Gea claimed he never expressed a desire not to play, but trained with the reserves soon after. On 31 August, after a summer of speculation, an agreement for a transfer was reached between Manchester United and Real Madrid worth £29 million, including the part-exchange of fellow goalkeeper Keylor Navas. The deal, however, collapsed due to paperwork not being submitted before the transfer window in Spain closed. After the transfer window closed, Spanish head coach Vicente del Bosque admitted that it would be difficult for him to select De Gea in Spain's European Championship squad if Manchester United continued not to select him.
What happened to De Gea in La Liga?
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 a 2–1 win. He described starting at the Vicente Calderón as a "dream since childhood".
What is the first name of David de Gea?
David de Gea. For the motorcycle racer, see José David de Gea. In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is De Gea and the second or maternal family name is Quintana. David de Gea Quintana (born 7 November 1990) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Manchester United and ...
What was De Gea's first game for Manchester United?
De Gea made his first appearance for Manchester United in a 3–1 friendly win over Chicago Fire on 23 July 2011. He made his competitive debut for United against Manchester City in the Community 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. 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, which Ferguson described as "a learning process". 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. In the following match, six days later, De Gea saved a penalty from Arsenal captain Robin van Persie, which would have cancelled out United's 1–0 lead. He made further saves to deny Van Persie and Andrey Arshavin in United's 8–2 victory. Teammate Wayne Rooney backed De Gea to succeed at United and hailed him as a "strong character".
