David de Gea leaves Manchester United a legend.

His consistent heroics have endeared him to the Old Trafford crowd just as much as the great shot-stoppers who have come before and his legacy with the Red Devils is undoubtedly one built on sublime performances, improbable saves and wondrous reflexes.

But it wasn’t guaranteed to be this way. After having arrived from Atletico Madrid in 2011, De Gea was expected to adjust to life in England seamlessly. If he was good enough for Sir Alex Ferguson, he was good enough for Old Trafford.

However, the first few years of De Gea’s time in Manchester were far from smooth sailing. The Spaniard’s erratic displays and frequent errors shone a dazzling spotlight on him, one which could have blinded the youngster. He struggled to cope with the increased physicality and pace of English football and it almost sunk him. High-profile gaffes early in his United career put immense pressure on his shoulders, but the weight didn’t prove too much for De Gea.

De Gea lifted the Premier League title during the 2012/13 season, regularly featuring in Ferguson’s line-ups. He even found himself in the PFA Team of the Year at the end of the campaign, albeit there were still question marks over the consistency and quality of his performances in crucial moments.

While discussion continued to surround De Gea’s quality, the Spaniard was slowly but surely improving the aspects of his game that were weakest. His shot-stopping had come under scrutiny, but it was not long before the Spaniard was arguably the best stopper in world football. Dimitar Berbatov summed him up best: “De Gea, you could catch a bullet.”

His ability to make the improbable, and sometimes impossible, look straightforward was one of his key attributes. His reflexes, positioning and, most significantly, confidence improved dramatically over the course of several years and the goalkeeper blossomed into one of the club’s key figures during dark days.

Suddenly doubters were turning into believers, with De Gea being rewarded for his crucial displays with three successive Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year awards between 2013 and 2016. During this period United struggled, finishing seventh, fourth and fifth across the three campaigns. Only God knows where they would have been without De Gea consistently bailing out a fragile defence and rescuing countless points.

It seemed as though the worse United were, the more they looked a shell of their former selves, the more De Gea thrived. There was a sense that he enjoyed how exposed he was because it would allow him to spring to his left and right as much as possible and pull out those ridiculous saves for which he became renowned.

The fact that the Spaniard was so well regarded by every manager he worked with at Old Trafford speaks volumes. In Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal and Ferguson, De Gea had some high-profile backers, continually rewarding each new coach with aplomb.

The most recent chapter of his United career has felt almost like a swansong – this season in particular amid reports of Erik ten Hag’s desire to bring in a goalkeeper more accomplished with his feet. There was a feeling that if the Red Devils were to really back their new Dutch coach, really give him everything he needs to be successful, then sooner or later United would have to part ways with their number one.

It is therefore fitting that De Gea finished this season as the best in the Premier League – at least according to the numbers. 17 clean sheets in the Premier League helped the Red Devils secure a return to the Champions League, winning the 45-cap Spain international the Golden Glove award. In the process, De Gea also managed to overtake Peter Schmeichel’s clean sheet record at Old Trafford, firmly putting his name among the greats to have donned the famous goalkeeper kit.

While it was hardly a dream send-off for De Gea, there is nothing that could tarnish his fantastic legacy at Old Trafford. He has proved himself a beacon of light through dark times, guiding United into a more promising era before saying his farewells. For United, he will forever be a hero.

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On this edition of The Promised Land, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders and Rob Blanchette discuss why Manchester United want Andre Onana to be their new goalkeeper. If you can’t see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast in audio format!

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