De Gea glad to be on reality TV

DAVID DE GEA is desperate to make up for lost time with Manchester United in the Champions League.

The Spain keeper would have two Champions League winners’ medals in his trophy cabinet by now if a proposed move to Real Madrid in August 2015 had not broken down at the last minute.

So far, the best De Gea has managed in the competition in his six seasons at Old Trafford is a quarter-final under David Moyes in 2014. But he believes boss Jose Mourinho has now assembled a team to restore United – who reached three finals in four years between 2008 and 2011 – to former glories. And he insists there is not much difference between the best in England and Spain.

“It’s good to be back in the competition,” said De Gea, right, ahead of tonight’s home clash against Basle. “It was hard to watch the Champions League games on TV. For a club like United not to be involved with the best teams in Europe is tough. It’s almost two years since there was a Champions League game at Old Trafford. “We know that it is really difficult to win the competition but the team we have now is really good and we are really motivated to win every game. “It’s true that in England we do not have a winter break and that means it is tough for English teams. But the level is more or less the same. Spanish teams are in a good moment but United are one of the best teams in the world.”

De Gea, 26, faces the Swiss champions fresh from his wonder save against Stoke. But he admitted to having bitter-sweet feelings about his tip over from Jese’s close-range shot because Stoke scored from the resulting corner. He said: “I don’t know if it was the best save I’ve ever made. After that, they scored the goal so it was a bit sad but it was still a great save.” (4-2-3-1) DE GEA VALENCIA LINDELOF SMALLING BLIND HERRERA MATIC MATA POGBA RASHFORD (4-2-3-1) VACLIK LANG SUCHY AKANJI RIVEROS XHAKA ZUFFI STEFFEN ELYOUNOUSSI BUA LUKAKU WOLFSWINKEL REF: R Buquet (Fra). TV: BT Sport ESPN. KICK-OFF: 7.45pm.