Complete Story Of David De Gea
There are uncountable physical and mental problems that cause a lot of difficulties with newborn babies, aged, and young ones as well. A common notion is that someone considered as farsighted can never excel in football. Great men have proved that positivity and a high spirit are enough for the transformation of a personality from nothing to something. The story of De Gea is a prime example of this as he struggles his way up to the top and sets his name among the stars forever.
Where it all started:
David de Gea Quintana was born in Madrid, Spain on 7 September 1990, and was raised in the nearby region of Illescas. His father, Jose, was also a goalkeeper, and his mother, Marivi, worked as a housekeeper. De Gea belonged to a family that did not have a very rich background and his mother wanted his academic excellence. He was good at academics as well as football and was growing as a promising goalkeeper due to his father’s involvement with him. Being a bright mind in both fields, his love for football was on another level. Little De Gea looked upon his father as a hero and an inspiration that helped him be the player he is today.
It was confirmed in 2012, that De Gea was farsighted, which means that he could have better vision of far objects, but a blurry vision of the ones near him. But this did not affect his performance. His brilliance in the sport did not let his love for football collapse. Considering his father the only inspiration in his life, he earned a spot in Atletico Madrid at the age of 13 and emerged as a rising star finally making his way into the senior team at 18 years.
Club Career:
After De Gea arrived at Atletico Madrid, he was scouted and signed by Diego Diaz immediately as soon as he found this young talent. De Gea was first called up to the senior team as a cover for the first-choice goalkeeper Roberto and he played his debut match on 30 September 2009 at the age of 18 as a substitute when Roberto got injured and De Gea entered the field in the 27th minute. Stepping up in a huge stadium as a goalkeeper for a renowned club was a dream for this little boy from Madrid. After an immense wave of rumors about his departure from Atletico, De Gea signed another contract keeping him with the club until 2013. The arrival of the new manager and some costly mistakes by Asenjo ( the first-choice keeper) made De Gea the new first-choice of the team. This phase of his life can be considered as the rising phase as he lifted the UEFA Europa League and the team gained confidence in him.
As per the trend of the industry, brilliance leads to transfers, and after so many rumours of transfer including a transfer to Old Trafford, he was finally signed with Manchester United at a record fee of £18.7 million for any goalkeeper. The start of his career was average from the game point of view but he faced a lot of criticism just after his league debut match against West Bromwich Albion where he was unable to keep a clean sheet in a 2-1 victory. His hard work, passion, and consistency made him one of the best goalkeepers in this world.
Club Stats:
| Total Games | 664 |
| Goals Conceded | 740 |
| Clean Sheets | 223 |
De Gea has been the star of Manchester United for a very long time and has made a special place in the hearts of millions of fans. His career consists of many highs and lows because there were various instances where he was seen performing exceptionally well and saving crucial goals for the club. The 2014-2015 campaign for De Gea was very successful as he was playing exceptionally well and saved crucial goals against Everton, West Brom, and Chelsea. This made him the player of the month for October and was awarded the man of the match for his astonishing performance where he saved 8 shots from Liverpool in a 3-0 win. At the end of the season he was nominated for PFA Players Player of the Year, PFA Young Player of the Year and also won the Fans Player of the Year award for the second time consecutively.
Jose Mourinho arrived at Manchester United as the new manager and it can also be considered a turning point in De Gea’s life. He started the season on a High note by keeping a clean sheet in the first two matches against Hull City and Southampton. In February 2017, De Gea won his first-ever EFL Cup title. He also won the Europa League title in the same season and was once again nominated for the PFA Team of the Year award for the fourth time in his career.
De Gea is an ideal example of a hero who lives long enough to be a villain. In 2023 David De Gea’s form declined and now the same fans who used to fight for him have started to hate him. He is the only player left of the great team built by Sir Alex and now it looks like his end might be near. The Spaniard has given his heart and soul to this club for the last 12 years and gets absolutely no recognition for his contributions. The real problem of Manchester United is something else but some of the fans constantly pull players down like Cristiano Ronaldo and David De Gea so that they can get someone to blame. We should not forget he is the only player in the team of Manchester United who has won a Premier League title and has quite a lot of titles under his belt.
De Gea is only 32 years old and might move to a bigger club to regain his lost form and get the glory he deserves.
International Career:
De Gea’s youth career with the Spain under-17 team started with him lifting the 2007 European Championship. At that time he was playing with Atletico Madrid and his performance was exceptionally good which kept him in the eyes of the selectors and was named in the 30-man provisional squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He was also part of the 2011 team which won the UEFA European U21 Championship. In 2012 he was called up for the senior team for the Euro 2012. But he couldn’t make it to the final squad. But this did not stop him from becoming a successful goalkeeper as he went to the 2012 Olympics and represent Spain.
| Games | 45 |
| Goals Conceded | 36 |
| Clean Sheets | 21 |
The first senior international match that he played was against El-Salvador which was a friendly match and Spain won it by 2-0. Although he was the third-choice goalkeeper for the national Spain football team, he was the only player who did not feature in any of the matches of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The day when De Gea proved his worth was 12th October 2014, when he kept a clean sheet in a 4-0 victory against Luxembourg in the UEFA Euro 2016. After this match, a lot of appreciation came his way. There were various comparisons and a lot of suggestions that he was getting from the world. His performance got him his place in the 23-man UEFA Euro 2016 Playing Squad.
The level of performance and his game style earned him much more than this little boy from Madrid thought he would. His estimated net worth is more than 20 million dollars and he is also sponsored by Adidas Sportswear, Electronic Arts, and Pepsi.
In 2018 he was called up to Spain’s squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. However, the first match for Spain was definitely not very favourable as the team lost to Portugal. But in the very next match De Gea short Iran levels by keeping a clean sheet throughout the match and winning by 1-0. But 2018, was definitely not a season for him as his performance was not as consistent as it used to be before and this led to a lot of criticism and troll on his way from the media. He was a part of the 2020 UEFA Euro but not as the first-choice goalkeeper for the team. Also, he was excluded from the playing squad in the 2022 World Cup.
A Legend Of The Game:
De Gea’s career is a prime example of supreme hard work, dedication, and a good understanding of the sport. A lot of people can debate about his career and can consider him inconsistent if they see his performance internationally but he can be considered as one of the finest goalkeepers. He has a special spot among the hearts of millions of fans at Manchester United as his contribution to the team has been remarkable. There are various rumours that his career has now come to an end or he will be taking a retirement very soon but he is currently a free agent and there is nothing as such he will be retired.
De Gea is the man who completely devoted himself to contributing to The legacy of Manchester United. So he will always be remembered as a legendary player of Manchester United and will be respected by millions of football fans out there.
