As Manchester United look to retain the Premier League title they can be thankful for the young Spaniard they have in goal.
David De Gea has risen to the occasion numerous times with important saves at crucial moments, and has finally begun to win over the sceptical minds who were unconvinced by some of his early displays.
Performances like the one against Blackburn at Old Trafford, or how he softly conceded against City in the Community Shield couldn’t have inspired confidence, and in return the reaction of some fans can’t have done much for his confidence.
It seemed some were ready to throw the baby out with the bath water but given time to settle and make the position his own, De Gea has improved massively. His more recent performances are quickly erasing these memories and will have done wonders for his confidence:
“I am very happy with my level of performance at the moment.
“It was always going to be tougher at the beginning.
“It took me a while to get used to the new faces and settle in with a new group of players in a different league.
“But I have improved from the start of the season and I am happy with how things are going at the moment.
“If you ask any player, when their confidence is high they are always going to put in better performances and, at the moment, my confidence is good.”
United welcome Alex McLeish’s Aston Villa to Old Trafford tomorrow as they tick another game off the fixture list, and with Man City turning up the heat following Wednesday’s defeat to Wigan you would expect some nerves in the dressing room.
Not the case, as De Gea claimed the players are chomping at the bit to get out on the field and play:
“I am really enjoying it.
“We can’t wait for each game and I want the Aston Villa match to come round as quickly as possible.
“There is a little way to go yet and we still have plenty of work to do. But the dressing room is very positive. We intend to keep fighting and maintain that advantage.”
