Manchester United’s mainstay in goal for more than the last decade was David de Gea. The Spaniard grew in stature at Old Trafford following his high-profile move from Atletico Madrid in 2011.
After 12 years at the club, De Gea often did not get the respect and he opted against signing a new contract in 2023, before eventually leaving United on a free transfer to join Fiorentina.
De Gea’s United tenure ended on a sour note, and the club decided to honour their former No.1 ahead of their final preseason game against his current employers.
The scores were level at 1-1 in regulation time with United emerging on top via a 5-4 penalty shootout win.
Despite a controversial exit from Manchester, the 34-year-old insisted he holds no bitterness towards the Red Devils over his departure saga.
“Sometimes football is like it is, you can’t control everything,” De Gea said when asked about his exit.
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“I’ve been here [Man United] 12 years, very, very nice, it’s one of the best periods of my life.
“Playing for this club is unbelievable, especially when you leave the club, you realise how big it is, how difficult it was to be 12 years in a club like United. I’m always grateful to the club, to everyone, it was an amazing journey.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been back here so it’s been a special day, of course.”
In 12 years at Uniteed, De Gea was named Player of the Year four times due to his heroic performances in between the Old Trafford posts.
David de Gea admits he considered retirement after United exit
The Spanish goalkeeper was forced to train alone in his final straight at United as former boss Erik ten Hag preferred Andre Onana.
De Gea then spent a year without club, before signing a deal at Fiorentina in 2024. In hindsight, it proved to be a great move for the Serie A outfit as he delivered some exceptional performances last season.
However, he admitted of contemplating about retirement in the aftermath of leaving United.
“There’s always these things coming to your mind, but I felt good, I trained again, I felt ready to go again.
“Fiorentina gave me the opportunity to play. I’m feeling very, very good there.
“It’s like a family, I’m feeling great, the city is amazing, the club is great. You see today we can play against top teams like United, so hopefully this year we can make something special as well.”
The Spaniard featured in 40 matches for Fiorentina last season across all competitions, kept 12 clean sheets in total, while maintaining 72.6% save accuracy.
He has also signed a three-year contract in Florence back in May.
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