Romero plans night to remember
SERGIO ROMERO is aiming to complete his transformation from nobody to Euro star here tonight and prove he is good enough to be David De Gea’s long-term replacement.
The Argentinian’s arrival as back-up keeper at Old Trafford on a free from Sampdoria in the summer of 2016 was one of the least-heralded signings in Manchester United’s recent history.
But he takes centre stage in the Friends Arena where he is vowing to justify manager Jose Mourinho’s decision to play him ahead of No1 De Gea, whose future is unclear amid renewed interest from Real Madrid.
Reaching Stockholm has taken United 14 games over eight months and visits to eight countries.
Romero has played in 11 of those 14, has performed well, and Mourinho believes he deserves his chance against Ajax.
He goes into the final on a high after saving a penalty from Manolo Gabbiadini in a man-of-the-match performance in the goalless draw at Southampton a week ago – his 11th clean sheet in 17 appearances for the club this season. “I arrived here on a free transfer, nobody knew me and now Jose and the other players have given me a lot of confidence and that’s very important,” said Romero, 30.
“I will try to do my best for the team. The most important thing is the squad and the fans.
“I’m very happy the manager said I would play in the final. I work every day to play and when the weekend arrives and I don’t, I go home very down. But inside I always have the determination to continue, to fight every time, because I’m the No1 in Argentina.
“This is my position, this is my mentality, my level. I have confidence in myself and when I play I’m looking to gain the confidence of the manager and my team-mates. This is my mentality. I am strong like this. Maybe I don’t play for two
months, but I am always ready to play.” Romero may not have been a signing that stirred much interest in England but he is well remembered in the Netherlands, where he helped Vitesse Arnhem win the Eredivisie under Louis van Gaal, the man who later signed him for United.
And he has experienced the joy and heartbreak of cup finals at the highest level. He helped his country win the Under-20 World Cup in 2007 and the Olympic football gold medal in Beijing in 2008. He played in the 2014 World Cup final defeat by Germany.
“I have played in a lot of finals,” he said. “I have won some, lost some – when you have the luck, you can win.
“With the national team, I have lost two Copa America finals on penalties and in the World Cup final we lost in extra-time. This is football.
“If we win the Europa League it will be the best present to celebrate a successful year. It would be a badge of distinction to wear with honour.”
Romero is happy to stay and fight for his place even if De Gea remains.
“I don’t know about David’s future. But I never want to leave this club because it is so big and I am very happy. I have two years left on my contract and I want to stay here for 10 more years. I want to finish here.
“When I came I wanted to be No1 but I know what my reality is now. I still work hard for possibilities. When I play, I try to prove how capable I am. I want to go to the World Cup next year as Argentina’s No1.”