De Gea’s got the world at his feet
DAVID de Gea believes his spell as an outfield player can continue to help United after his remarkable save against Liverpool last month.
The Spaniard, who turned 27 on Tuesday, spent endless hours with the ball at his feet as he combined two roles as a No.1 and a No.9 as a youngster.
De Gea eventually followed in his father Jose’s footsteps, in becoming a professional goalkeeper, and has since gone on to establish himself as, arguably, the best in the world in his position.
The keeper’s footwork came to the rescue in United’s dull 0-0 draw with Liverpool last month, when he denied Joel Matip with a scarcelybelievable stop from point blank range.
And the 27-year-old believes those endless hours playing with the ball at his feet as a youngster have paid dividends – even if it is all just instinct.
“It’s pure instinct,” he told Inside Review.
“It’s something you do automatically. It’s not like you think to yourself: ‘I’m going to use my feet’.
“It’s just a reaction and there are times when the ball is coming at you very close to your body and there’s not enough time to get down. I’ve always been decent with my feet so it’s another skill you can call upon.
“[As I said], as a kid, I used to play out of goal, so my touch isn’t too bad.”