Daily Star

DE GEA DOES IT FOR REAL NOW

Keeper no longer has the pain of watching

- By MIKE WHALLEY

DAVID DE GEA hated being a Champions League spectator last season.

Now he wants to make up for lost time. The Spain goalkeeper missed out as United won the Europa League in May, with Sergio Romero playing in all of their knockout games.

But manager Jose Mourinho has promised De Gea will be his first choice in Europe this season.

De Gea will start at Old Trafford tonight as United make their Champions League return against Swiss champions Basel.

De Gea admits to feeling more than a pang of jealousy as Real Madrid – the club who tried and failed to sign him two years ago – beat Juventus in Cardiff to win last season’s Champions League Final.

He said: “It was hard to watch the Champions League games on TV. For Manchester United, not to be in the games was tough, but now we are back.

“I think it is almost two years since we last played a Champions League game at Old Trafford, so we have high motivation.”

De Gea played in three of United’s first four Europa League matches last season before Romero took over, keeping his place as Mourinho’s side beat Ajax in the final in Stockholm.

“You always want to play every game, but it was the manager’s decision,” said De Gea. “It was good because we won that competitio­n.

“We fight for our places in the team, but, of course, I always want to play.”

De Gea started the Premier League season with three clean sheets and even though that run ended in a 2-2 draw at Stoke on Saturday, he still shone by producing a brilliant save to deny former Real striker Jese.

The ex-Atletico Madrid shot-stopper believes that United are capable of another good run in Europe, saying: “We are really motivated to play in the Champions League, to try to win every game and try to win the Champions League.

“It’s true that the Spanish teams are in a good moment, but I think Manchester United is one of the best teams in the world.”

Victor Lindelof and Chris Smalling will form United’s central defensive partnershi­p tonight, with Eric Bailly and Phil Jones suspended.

Mourinho has warned Bailly and Jones that their places could be under threat if Lindelof, signed from Benfica for £30.75m in July, impresses.

He said: “Victor is a very good player with very good potential. I think there are reasons for the other boys, Eric and Jones, to be worried.”

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