David de Gea

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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

De Gea with Spain in 2017

Personal information

Full name David de Gea Quintana[1]

Date of birth 7 November 1990 (age 31)[2]

Place of birth Madrid, Spain

Height 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)[3]

Position(s) Goalkeeper
Club information

Current team Manchester United

Number 1
Youth career
2003–2008 Atlético Madrid
Senior career*

Years Team Apps (Gls)

2008–2009 Atlético Madrid B 35 (0)

2009–2011 Atlético Madrid 57 (0)

2011– Manchester United 388 (0)

National team

2004 Spain U15 12 (0)

2007 Spain U17 15 (0)

2007–2009 Spain U19 15 (0)

2009 Spain U20 1 (0)

2009–2013 Spain U21 27 (0)

2012 Spain U23 5 (0)

2014–2020 Spain 45 (0)

Honours
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18:50, 22 October 2022 (UTC)

David de Gea Quintana (born 7 November 1990) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays
as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Manchester United. During the mid-2010s, he was
widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.[4][5]

Born in Madrid and raised in nearby Illescas, De Gea began his playing career with Atlético
Madrid, rising through the academy system at the club before making his senior debut in 2009,
aged 18. After being made Atlético's first-choice goalkeeper, he helped the team win the UEFA
Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup in 2010. His performances subsequently attracted the
attention of Manchester United, and De Gea joined the club in June 2011 for £18.9 million, a
British record for a goalkeeper at the time.

Since joining Manchester United, De Gea has made over 500 appearances and won a Premier
League title, an FA Cup, a League Cup, three Community Shields and the UEFA Europa
League. For three consecutive seasons from 2013–14 to 2015–16, he was elected as United's Sir
Matt Busby Player of the Year, the first player in the award's history to win on three successive
occasions (four in total),[6] as well as being included in four consecutive (five in total) PFA Team
of the Year sides from 2015 to 2018. In 2018, he was named in the FIFA FIFPro World11.[7]
Tipped by many as the successor to Iker Casillas as Spain's long-term goalkeeper,[8] 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. He made his debut for the senior
team in 2014 and was selected for that year's World Cup. De Gea was named as Spain's starting
goalkeeper for the 2016 European Championship and the 2018 FIFA World Cup, receiving
criticism for his performance in the latter.[9] Thus, he lost his regular place to Unai Simón for the
2020 European Championship.

Contents
 1 Club career
o 1.1 Atlético Madrid
 1.1.1 Youth and Atlético B
 1.1.2 2009–10 season: First-team call-up
 1.1.3 2010–11 season
o 1.2 Manchester United
 1.2.1 Transfer
 1.2.2 2011–12 season
 1.2.3 2012–13 season
 1.2.4 2013–14 season
 1.2.5 2014–15 season
 1.2.6 2015–16 season
 1.2.7 2016–17 season
 1.2.8 2017–18 season
 1.2.9 2018–19 season
 1.2.10 2019–20 season
 1.2.11 2020–21 season
 1.2.12 2021–22 season
 2 International career
o 2.1 Youth
o 2.2 Senior
 3 Style of play
 4 Personal life
 5 Career statistics
o 5.1 Club
o 5.2 International
 6 Honours
 7 References
 8 External links

Club career
Atlético Madrid
De Gea playing for Atlético Madrid in 2010

Youth and Atlético B

Born in Madrid and raised in Illescas,[10] 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.[10][11] 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.[12] 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.[13] 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.[13] The same summer, Atlético rejected an
offer from English team Wigan Athletic for a permanent transfer for De Gea.[14]

2009–10 season: First-team call-up

With first-choice goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo away on international duty at the 2009 FIFA U-20
World Cup, De Gea was called up to the senior team as cover for Roberto. He made his debut for
the Atlético first-team at the age of 18 on 30 September 2009, coming on as a substitute after
Roberto was injured after 27 minutes of Atlético's UEFA Champions League Group stage match
away to Porto; De Gea conceded two late goals as Atlético lost 2–0.[15] 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.[15][16] He described starting at the Vicente Calderón as a "dream
since childhood".[17] In January 2010, De Gea was touted as a possible replacement for
Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, who was set to retire in 2011.[18] Days later,
however, he signed a new contract which would keep him with Atlético until 2013.[19]

After some costly mistakes by Asenjo, and the arrival of Quique Sánchez Flores as manager, De
Gea finished the 2009–10 season as the starting "number one". He won two man of the match
awards along the way,[20] against Athletic Bilbao and Valencia. Additionally, he appeared in
eight matches in the club's victorious UEFA Europa League campaign, including the 2–1 final
win against Fulham.[21] Diego Forlán later said of his first season, "David was good enough for
the top level at 19 and the players had confidence in him."[13]

2010–11 season

De Gea during the Madrid Derby in November 2010

This boy is as cold as a wolf. He has composure, nerve and self-confidence. The pressures that
others might feel don't affect him.

— Atlético youth goalkeeping coach Ángel Mejías in 2010.[22]

De Gea began the 2010–11 season by keeping a clean sheet in a 2–0 victory over Inter Milan in
the 2010 UEFA Super Cup; in the 90th minute, he saved a Diego Milito penalty kick.[23] In
September, it was reported that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had missed a
League Cup match with Scunthorpe United to travel to Spain to watch De Gea in action against
Valencia.[24][25] De Gea played down the rumours, saying, "The important thing is that I have a
contract here and I'm an Atletico player until 2013."[26]

Even though he's still growing physically and mentally, he's already on the road to becoming one
of the best keepers around. Any other outcome would be a disappointment.

— Atlético goalkeeping coach Diego Díaz Garrido in 2010.[22]

Following his "faultless" performance in the Madrid Derby on 7 November, De Gea was hailed
as the heir apparent to Real Madrid's goalkeeper Iker Casillas for Spain,[27] a sentiment Casillas
agreed with, saying, "In Spain we are lucky to have very good goalkeepers and De Gea soon
might be fighting my place in the team," while Spain manager Vicente del Bosque described De
Gea as "the future of the team".[28] He remained the undisputed starting goalkeeper for the
remainder of the season, going on to play in every La Liga match for the team en route to a
seventh-place finish.

During his time with Atlético Madrid, De Gea shared a locker with Cléber Santana, who died
aboard LaMia Flight 2933 on the way to the first-leg of the 2016 Copa Sudamericana Finals.[29]

Manchester United
Transfer

Throughout the 2010–11 season, speculation regarding how Manchester United would replace
their retiring goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar was widespread, and much attention focused on De
Gea as United's key target.[30][31] After Gary Neville's testimonial against Juventus on 24 May,
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson claimed that a deal had been done to bring De Gea to Old
Trafford, but this was later denied by the player's representatives and the Atlético management,
with De Gea stating that he would not consider his future until after the 2011 UEFA European
Under-21 Championship.[32] Following Spain's victory in the tournament, De Gea was spotted in
Manchester undergoing a medical with United on 27 June.[33] The next day, he reported that
United were making him a contract offer, and the transfer was confirmed on 29 June for a British
record fee for a goalkeeper of approximately £18.9 million.[34]

Growing up, De Gea had admired United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel,[35] and was often
compared to Van der Sar, furthered by being dubbed "Van der Gea".[36]

2011–12 season

De Gea is high, has good feet, comes with authority and is agile... has everything to be one of the
greatest goalkeepers in the next ten years.

— Edwin van der Sar, former Manchester United goalkeeper.[37]

De Gea made his first appearance for Manchester United in a 3–1 friendly win over Chicago Fire
on 23 July 2011.[38] 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.[39] 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,[40] which Ferguson described as "a learning process".[41]
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.[42] 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.[43]
Teammate Wayne Rooney backed De Gea to succeed at United and hailed him as a "strong
character".[44]
De Gea playing for Manchester United in 2012

On 18 September, Manchester United beat Chelsea 3–1 at Old Trafford, with De Gea making a
string of saves, particularly from Ramires – when the midfielder had an empty net to side-foot
home, De Gea quickly got across to smother the ball away. De Gea's improvement in form
continued in his next appearance, as he made two notable saves to help his team to a 1–1 draw
away at Stoke City,[45] and his overall performance was praised by teammates Patrice Evra and
Darren Fletcher.[46] De Gea made his first ever UEFA Champions League start in a 3–3 draw
against Basel on 27 September 2011. On 15 October, De Gea was praised for his efforts at
Anfield as United drew 1–1 against Liverpool, providing important saves in a nerve-free
performance,[47] prompting Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish to joke, "I thought the press said
the boy was struggling."[48]

On 23 October 2011, De Gea played as Manchester United suffered their worst home defeat
since 1955 with a 6–1 loss against cross-town rivals Manchester City,[49] the first time United had
conceded six goals at home since 1930.[50] De Gea was in goal during the league defeat to
Blackburn Rovers and was blamed by most media outlets for failing to deal with an aerial ball
that led to the conceding of a late goal by Grant Hanley in a 3–2 defeat.[51] De Gea was
nonplussed by the error, saying, "all keepers make mistakes once in a while and none of us like it
when we do. I have every intention of spending many years here at Manchester United. I want to
become a great United keeper and I want to earn and deserve the respect I hope to get,"[52] and
spoke of his intentions of surpassing his predecessor: "Hopefully, I will equal or even surpass the
performance and contribution Edwin van der Sar made to the club."[53] After this match, De Gea
was dropped and replaced by United's second-choice goalkeeper, Anders Lindegaard.[54] An
injury to Lindegaard saw De Gea return to the starting line-up for a 3–3 draw with Chelsea at
Stamford Bridge on 5 February 2012.[55] De Gea later cited his last-minute save from Juan Mata
during this match as the turning point in his season, as he went on to play the club's last 19
matches, keeping eight clean sheets.[56]

After a difficult first season in England, De Gea said, "There have been doubts in the first season
but I always had faith in my ability. The pressure at an elite club like United is huge but
Ferguson just told me to do what I did at Atlético. You have to be as strong when things go
wrong but I don't get nervous. Mistakes are normal; everyone makes them."[57] His goalkeeping
rival Lindegaard, however, promised to fight for the place he lost via injury, saying, "I want the
number one spot because I am the best. I am sure he is a bit in front right now because he did
well last season, so I need to take every chance I get to prove myself worthy of the number one
spot."[58] De Gea later admitted that he thought about leaving after the first season.[59]

2012–13 season

Due to his involvement in the 2012 Olympics, De Gea missed Manchester United's pre-season
tour, but nevertheless returned to the starting line-up for the opening match of the season against
Everton. Despite some "outstanding" saves from De Gea, United lost 1–0.[60] In the next match, a
3–2 win at home to Fulham, he made some noteworthy saves from Mladen Petrić, Moussa
Dembélé and Bryan Ruiz. However, in attempting to claim a cross from Matthew Briggs, a
misunderstanding with Nemanja Vidić led to the Serbian defender putting the ball in his own net
for Fulham's second goal.[61]

I've no doubts that David De Gea can be a top goalkeeper, one of the best in the world. He's
physically going to mature in the next 18 months and he needs a championship.

— Gary Neville in 2013.[62]

On 9 December, De Gea made back-to-back saves from Manchester City's Carlos Tevez and
David Silva, helping United to a 3–2 Manchester Derby win at the City of Manchester Stadium.
[63]
In the next match, a 3–1 win against Sunderland at Old Trafford, De Gea produced an
important double-save from Craig Gardner and Stéphane Sessègnon's follow-up.[64]

De Gea received criticism from former United captain Gary Neville for a punch that allowed
Tottenham to score a stoppage time equaliser in a 1–1 draw at White Hart Lane on 20 January
2013, saying, "You've got to learn the hard way and he's learning in a very unforgiving
environment where he's judged continuously at the highest level. There's a theory that he saved
Manchester United because he made two or three great saves, but unfortunately that's a waste of
time. He played well yesterday, but playing well for 92-and-a-half minutes and then doing that in
the 93rd is a problem at a club like that."[62] Ferguson responded by saying De Gea's critics were
"idiots."[65] On 13 February 2013, De Gea made several saves to help United to a 1–1 draw
against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in the first leg of the last 16 of the
Champions League, and was praised by manager Sir Alex Ferguson for his "excellent"
performance,[66] one which was said to have turned him from "villain to hero" and made him
"come of age".[67][68]

You bring a boy into the Premier League at 20, it's not easy. He's learning in the toughest
environment in the world. But the one thing he has is fantastic inner strength. We teach him that
the calmest man on the field has to be the goalkeeper. And one of his great strengths is his
calmness.

— goalkeeping coach Eric Steele in 2013.[69]

On 23 February, De Gea recorded his second consecutive clean sheet for United, stopping a Loïc
Rémy shot and a Christopher Samba header to help United to a 2–0 victory over Queens Park
Rangers.[70] This was followed by a 4–0 win at Old Trafford against Norwich City on 2 March.[71]
Another clean sheet came on 16 March in a 1–0 victory against Reading.[72] De Gea was on the
receiving end of a controversial aerial challenge by West Ham United striker Andy Carroll that
left him "poleaxed", with Ferguson expressing his disbelief at the lack of a red card.[73]

De Gea's form throughout the season was recognised by his peers, culminating in being voted
into the PFA Premier League Team of the Year.[74] He ended the season with his first Premier
League winner's medal with United, making 28 appearances and keeping 11 clean sheets, as the
team topped the Premier League table by 11 points. This placed him joint-fifth in the race for the
Premier League Golden Glove.

2013–14 season

He has huge faith in himself, which is a really important virtue. He doesn't let anything affect
him. The day he makes a mistake he knows he has made a mistake but it never sinks him. He
uses it to make sure that he doesn't make the mistake next time. It's a great quality.

— Juan Mata in 2014.[75]

De Gea's season began with a clean sheet in the 2–0 win over Wigan in the Community Shield at
Wembley Stadium.[76] On 5 October 2013, De Gea's save to deny Sunderland's Emanuele
Giaccherini during a 2–1 away win was described by former Manchester United goalkeeper
Peter Schmeichel as one of the best saves ever seen in the Premier League.[77] Manager David
Moyes agreed with Schmeichel's assessment, describing the save was a "turning point" in a
match in which they were losing 1–0 at the time,[78] and said De Gea "is improving all the time".
[79]

On 1 December, De Gea made his 100th appearance for Manchester United in a 2–2 draw
against Tottenham.[80] He received the backing of teammate Darren Fletcher, when, in the League
Cup semi-final second leg against Sunderland on 22 January 2014, De Gea was deemed to be at
fault when he let a weak Phil Bardsley shot past him deep into extra time;[81][82] a Javier
Hernández goal soon after left the aggregate score at 3–3, resulting in a penalty shoot-out, where
De Gea's penalty saves from Steven Fletcher and Adam Johnson were not enough to help United
advance, losing 2–1.[83] On 19 March, whilst playing against Olympiacos in the first knockout
stage of the Champions League as United came from 2–0 down to win 3–2 on aggregate, De Gea
made a crucial double-save before half-time which was said to have defied "all known laws of
physics and physiology" in a performance described as "magnificent".[84] Teammate Phil Jones
claimed that "he's up there with the best goalkeepers in the world".[85] De Gea's performances
throughout the season saw him named as both the club's Players' Player of the Year and Fans'
Player of the Year.[86]

2014–15 season
We are now seeing a huge improvement in his game. And he is winning United match after
match, which is what I expect from a United goalkeeper. He has now become a great goalkeeper.

— Gary Neville in 2014.[87]

De Gea helped United secure back-to-back victories for the first time under their new manager
Louis van Gaal in a home victory against Everton on 5 October 2014. During the match, De Gea
made three important saves, including one penalty from Leighton Baines, to help United secure a
2–1 win in which he was voted by Manchester United fans as man of the match.[88] He became
the first goalkeeper to stop a penalty from Baines, who had previously converted all of his 14
Premier League penalties.[89] After several vital stops against Everton, West Brom and Chelsea,
he was named Manchester United's Player of the Month for October.[90] On 14 December, De
Gea was awarded the man of the match for his "outstanding" performance against Liverpool,[91]
making eight saves in a 3–0 victory,[92] a performance rated as the best of the Premier League
season.[93] He was hailed by Van Gaal as "unbelievable" for his performances,[94] and was called
the "saving grace" for being the one constant in the team throughout the season.[95] Amid rumours
of a departure, he said he was "proud" to play for United, and was prompted by Peter Schmeichel
and Gary Neville to sign a new contract with the club.[96][97]

At the end of the season, De Gea was shortlisted for the PFA Players' Player of the Year and the
PFA Young Player of the Year, before losing out to Eden Hazard and Harry Kane respectively.
[98][99][100]
On 26 April 2015, De Gea was named in the PFA Team of the Year as its goalkeeper
and its only Manchester United player.[101] He also won both Fans' Player of the Year and
Players' Player of the Year awards for the second consecutive season.[102][103] His save against
Everton was voted as Premier League Save of the Season by Match of the Day, the second
consecutive year he won the award.[104]

2015–16 season

De Gea playing for Manchester United in 2016

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.[105] On 13 August, Van Gaal
revealed that De Gea had requested to goalkeeping coach Frans Hoek that he be left out of the
team.[106] De Gea claimed he never expressed a desire not to play, but trained with the reserves
soon after.[107] 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.[108] 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.[109]

On 11 September, De Gea signed a new four-year deal with Manchester United, with an option
to extend it for a further year.[110] Twelve days later, in the third round of the League Cup, De
Gea captained Manchester United for the first time, wearing the armband for the final nine
minutes of their win over Ipswich Town.[111] In April 2016, while leading the race for the Premier
League Golden Glove with 14 clean sheets, De Gea was the sole Manchester United player
named in the PFA Team of the Year.[112] On 23 April, in a 2–1 win over Everton in the FA Cup
semi-finals, he saved a penalty from Romelu Lukaku.[113]

In May 2016, De Gea became the first player ever to win Manchester United's Player of the Year
for a third consecutive season.[114] During the same month, he also won BBC Match of the Day
Save of the Season for the third consecutive year, for his save against Watford on 21 November
2015.[115] In the last league match of the season, a 3–1 win over Bournemouth, De Gea was
denied the chance to share the Premier League Golden Glove with Arsenal's Petr Čech due to a
stoppage-time own goal by Chris Smalling.[116]

2016–17 season

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2018)

Under new Manchester United manager José Mourinho, De Gea made his first appearance of the
season in the FA Community Shield against Premier League winners Leicester City. The match
ended in a 2–1 victory for United.[117] De Gea started the Premier League season by keeping 2
clean sheets in his first 3 games against Southampton and Hull City.[118] De Gea was part of the
Manchester United team which lost 4–0 to Chelsea, their heaviest Premier League defeat since
the 6–1 loss against Manchester City in October 2011.[119]

On 20 April 2017, De Gea was selected as a goalkeeper in the PFA Team of the Year for the
fourth time in his career.[120]

2017–18 season
De Gea (in black) playing for United against Leicester City in August 2017

On 17 September 2017, at the fifth match of the Premier League against Everton, De Gea made
his fourth clean sheet of the season and 100th overall for Manchester United.[121]

De Gea with manager José Mourinho during a 2017 Champions League match

On 2 December 2017, in a 3–1 win over Arsenal, De Gea recorded 14 saves and equalled the
mark that was shared by Tim Krul and Vito Mannone as the Premier League record for the
greatest number of saves in a single game and he also won the Man of the Match award.[122]

On 18 April 2018, De Gea was selected as a goalkeeper in the PFA Team of the Year for the
fifth time as the only Manchester United player.[123]

On 11 May 2018, after a 0–0 draw against West Ham, De Gea earned his 18th clean sheet of the
season and also secured his first Premier League Golden Glove since he joined Manchester
United in 2011.

2018–19 season

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.[124] 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.[125] In March and
April, De Gea suffered a run of poor form; being criticised by fans and pundits for mistakes
made in losses to Arsenal,[126]Barcelona,[127] Everton,[128] Manchester City,[129] and a 1–1 draw
against Chelsea.[130] De Gea ended the season with just 7 clean sheets in 38 Premier League
appearances,[131] his lowest tally during his time at Manchester United, and kept only 10 clean
sheets all season for the club.[132]

2019–20 season

On 3 July 2019, ahead of the 2019–20 season, De Gea was offered a new contract.[133] By 15 July
2019, the negotiations were ongoing.[134] On 11 August 2019, De Gea started in Manchester
United's opening Premier League match against Chelsea and kept his first clean sheet of the
season, as United beat Chelsea 4–0. [135] On 16 September 2019, Manchester United confirmed
that De Gea had signed a four year contract renewal, keeping him at the club until at least June
2023.[136][137]

In October 2019 he became an injury doubt for the North-West derby after being injured in a
game for Spain.[138] Despite this, De Gea started the game which ended in a 1–1 draw.[139]

In Manchester United's first game after the break in the season enforced by COVID-19 against
Tottenham Hotspur, De Gea made an error leading to a goal that cost United the win.[140] This
came after a series of errors earlier in the season against Crystal Palace,[141] Watford,[142] and
Everton.[143] This error spell, like last season, resulted in calls from fans for Dean Henderson to
be made Manchester United's first choice goalkeeper. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær backed De
Gea saying, "one day [Henderson will] be England's and United's Number 1" but that De Gea
was currently "the best goalkeeper in the world".[144] However, de Gea continued his error-prone
season in United's FA Cup Semi-final tie against Chelsea, where he was directly responsible for
one of the goals in a 3–1 defeat.[145][146] This came one week after reaching a number of landmarks
and records for United including becoming the most capped non-British or Irish player to play
for United, achieved on 9 July, and reaching 400 appearances for the club on 13 July.[147] On 16
July 2020, he also kept his 112th PL clean sheet against Crystal Palace, equalling Peter
Schmeichel’s club record in the top flight.[148] On the last day of Premier League, De Gea kept his
113th PL clean sheet against Leicester City and surpassed Schmeichel's record.[149]

2020–21 season

The return of Dean Henderson from an extended loan spell at Sheffield United meant De Gea
went into the 2020–21 season with a true competitor for Manchester United's number 1 jersey for
the first time since joining the club.[150] De Gea began the season as first-choice, missing just two
of the club's first 26 league matches: he was left out of the squad for the match against West
Ham United on 5 December 2020 after aggravating an injury suffered in the club's previous
league game against Southampton,[151] while Henderson was preferred against Sheffield United
on 17 December.[152] On 2 February 2021, De Gea played the full 90 minutes and kept a clean
sheet in Manchester United's Premier League record-equalling 9–0 home win against
Southampton.[153]
De Gea also started five of Manchester United's six Champions League group matches, but after
the team finished third in their group and dropped down to the Europa League, Henderson was
preferred in goal for the Europa League knockout phase. At the start of March 2021, De Gea
returned to Spain for the birth of his first child, which meant Henderson was able to take over as
first-choice goalkeeper in the league and De Gea started to be preferred in the Europa League; he
kept clean sheets in the two matches against Granada in the quarter-finals, and on 6 May, he
made nine saves in a 3–2 away defeat to Roma in the second leg of UEFA Europa league semi-
final, as United progressed to the final with an 8–5 aggregate victory.[154] On 26 May, in the 2021
UEFA Europa League Final, De Gea missed his team's last penalty in an 11–10 penalty shoot-
out defeat after the match finished 1–1 after extra time to hand Spanish side Villarreal their first
ever European title.[155]

2021–22 season

De Gea started the league season against Leeds United, in which he conceded a goal.[156] He
earned his first clean sheet of the season in a 1–0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers.[157] In
the fifth gameweek of the season, De Gea saved his first penalty for Manchester United since a
2016 FA Cup tie against Everton as he denied Mark Noble of West Ham United from the spot in
the last action of the game, ensuring a 2–1 victory for the Reds after a late goal from Jesse
Lingard.[158]

International career
Youth

De Gea lining up for Spain U21 in 2011

De Gea helped Spain's under-17 team win the 2007 European Championship,[159][160] and finish
second at the 2007 World Cup.[20] In early May 2010, courtesy of solid Atlético performances, he
was named by senior squad manager Vicente del Bosque in a provisional 30-man squad for the
2010 FIFA World Cup;[161] however, he did not make the final cut.[20] In 2011, he was part of the
Spain under-21 team that won the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
De Gea playing for the Spanish Olympic Football team during the London 2012 Olympic
Games.

On 15 May 2012, De Gea was called up for to the Spanish senior team for two matches against
Serbia and PR China.[20] He was in consideration for Del Bosque's Euro 2012 squad, but did not
make the final 23-man group. He was selected, however, to play at the 2012 Summer Olympics,
[162]
and played all three matches as the nation was eliminated in the group stage. De Gea and
Spain under-21 retained their European title in 2013.

Senior

On 13 May 2014, De Gea was selected in Spain's 30-man provisional squad for the 2014 World
Cup, and later made the final squad. He made his first senior international appearance against El
Salvador in a 2–0 friendly victory on 8 June in preparation for the tournament, replacing Iker
Casillas for the last seven minutes of the match at the FedExField in Washington D.C.[163] As
third-choice goalkeeper behind Casillas and Pepe Reina, De Gea was the only member of the
squad not to feature at that World Cup, in which Spain were eliminated in the group stage. On 4
September 2014, he made his first start for Spain, playing the whole 90 minutes against France in
a Paris friendly and conceding a goal from Loïc Rémy to lose 1–0.[164] He played his first
competitive international on his third cap on 12 October, keeping a clean sheet in a 4–0 win
away to Luxembourg in UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying.

Many tipped De Gea to succeed Casillas as the long-term number one goalkeeper,[8][165][166]
including Casillas himself.[167] On 31 May 2016, he was named to Vicente del Bosque's final 23-
man Spanish squad for UEFA Euro 2016.[168] He started their opening match against the Czech
Republic in Toulouse, keeping a clean sheet in a 1–0 victory.[169] He followed up with another
clean sheet against Turkey as Spain won 3–0.[170] The following match, however, he conceded
twice to Croatia as his team lost 2–1.[171] Spain was eliminated in the round of 16 on 27 June,
with their opponent Italy scoring the only two goals of the match.[172]

De Gea with Spain at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

On 21 May 2018 he was called up to Spain's squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[173]
In Spain's first game of the tournament on 15 June, De Gea was at fault for Portugal's second
goal, letting a Cristiano Ronaldo shot slip through his grasp; Ronaldo completed a hat-trick
during the 3–3 draw, with his first goal coming from a penalty, and his third from a free-kick,
which were Portugal's only other shots on target.[174][175] In Spain's second group match against
Iran on 20 June, he kept a clean-sheet in a 1–0 victory.[176] De Gea continued to struggle in
Spain's final group match against Morocco on 25 June, however, which ended in a 2–2 draw;[177]
his unsteady performances in the group stage drew criticism in the media, who noted that he had
only made one save in the tournament.[178] On 1 July, De Gea also failed to make a save during
Spain's 4–3 penalty shootout loss to hosts Russia in the Round of 16; the match had ended in a
1–1 draw after extra-time, with De Gea being beaten by an Artem Dzyuba penalty in the first
half.[179][180] De Gea ended the tournament having conceded six goals from seven shots on target,
excluding the four goals he conceded in the penalty-shootout; with only one save, he recorded
fewer saves than any other goalkeeper who had played at least three matches in a single edition
of the tournament since 1966.[9] De Gea criticised the Adidas Telstar 18 official match ball,
calling it "really strange" and claiming that "it could have been made a lot better."[181]

On 24 May 2021, de Gea was included in Luis Enrique's 24-man squad for UEFA Euro 2020,[182]
but lost his starting place to Unai Simón.

Style of play
Regarded as a highly promising prospect in his youth,[183] De Gea soon developed into one of the
best goalkeepers in the world, with some in the sport even labelling him as the current best
keeper in the world.[184][185] De Gea grew up playing futsal as an outfield player until the age of
14, which has helped with his footwork; he has also incorporated various futsal goalkeeping
techniques in his play style which shows in his ability to make athletic saves with his feet.[186] His
unorthodox, yet effective, goalkeeping style of making saves with his feet accredited with
changing goalkeeping.[186] An elegant[187] and athletic keeper, De Gea is known in particular for
his outstanding reflexes, agility, and shot-stopping ability between the posts, as well as his
penchant for saving the ball with his feet, which enable him to produce acrobatic dives and
spectacular saves.[188][189][190][191][192][193][194][195][196] Former goalkeeper Shay Given labelled De Gea as
the best shot-stopper in the world in 2018.[197] Furthermore, he has stood for his consistency,[188]
composure,[34][198] leadership,[195] and his positional sense.[192][199][200][201] Due to his slender frame,
he initially struggled at defending high balls as a youngster, often punching balls away rather
than holding on to them, and was at times reluctant to come off his line. He has since shown
great improvements in his aerial prowess, handling, command of his area, decision making, and
ability to come out and claim crosses, in particular after he developed physically and gained
more experience, even being described as a "strong presence in the box" by Kyle Diller in 2012.
[189][192][202][203][204][205][206]
However, in later seasons, his ability to come off his line and deal with
crosses was once again cited as a weakness in his game, in particular in comparison to teammate
Dean Henderson.[205][207]

De Gea is highly regarded for his speed when rushing off his line in one on one situations, which
also enables him to function as a sweeper-keeper.[34][199][208][209][210] In later seasons, however,
Adam Bate of Sky Sports noted in 2019 that De Gea mainly stayed in his area and would come
out to sweep up the ball less frequently than other leading keepers in the Premier League; his
change in style also drew criticism from Mark Ogden of ESPN in 2020,[211][212] while that same
year, Mark Critchley of The Independent opined that De Gea "has never been especially
comfortable playing behind a high line, regularly coming out second-best in one-on-ones with
opposition strikers."[213] Jonathan Wilson in a 2020 article for the Irish Times also noted that
sweeping was not a natural part of his game, and that his tendency to sit deeper with Manchester
United in comparison to his position with Spain, who play with a higher line, was one of his
reasons for his loss of form since his poor and error–prone performances at the 2018 World Cup.
[214]
In addition to his goalkeeping abilities, De Gea possesses excellent ball control, vision, and
distribution with either foot, which enables him to start attacking plays from the back;[199][202][215]
[216][217]
in 2014, he credited his goalkeeping coach under Louis van Gaal, Frans Hoek, for helping
him to develop this aspect of his game,[218] which Mark Critchley of The Independent had
initially criticised as being "average."[213] However, in 2020 his distribution was once again
described as being "limited" by Critchley, especially in comparison to other ball-playing
goalkeepers in the Premier League,[213] while in a 2018 article for The Guardian, Jonathan
Wilson felt that De Gea's unremarkable passing and lack of confidence with the ball at his feet
was one of the reasons for the contrast between his performances with Manchester United and
Spain.[219] In addition, De Gea's effectiveness at stopping penalties has also been put into question
in recent years - although he has saved penalties from specialists such as Leighton Baines, Diego
Milito and former teammate Robin van Persie, he didn't save a single penalty between April
2016 and September 2021.[220] During that period, De Gea conceded 40 penalties - including the
11 conceded in the 2021 UEFA Europa League Final shootout.[221]
Personal life
In January 2012, De Gea was confirmed as farsighted, although this is not thought to have
affected his performances.[222][223] De Gea has stated that he is a fan of heavy metal music, with
Avenged Sevenfold being one of his favourite bands.[224] He is married to Spanish singer Edurne.
[225]
On 4 March 2021, the couple had their first child, a daughter named Yanay.[226] He also
founded an eSports team under the name '"Rebels Gaming" in 2021.[227]

Career