De Gea is still a world class keeper says Kasper

KASPER Schmeichel has issued a firm defence of under-fire United goalkeeper David de Gea.

United suffered a 3-1 defeat at Wembley in the semi-finals of the FA Cup at the weekend and De Gea was criticised for his role in the disappointing result.

De Gea was not at his best for all three goals conceded but Chelsea’s second stood out in particular, with Mason Mount’s shot from outside the box squeezing beneath the Spaniard.

After the game some fans and pundits were quick to call for De Gea to be dropped, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer opted to stick by him for his side’s 1-1 draw with West Ham.

And now the Leicester City star has hit back at the criticism the Spaniard has been receiving ahead of his side’s game with the Old Trafford club this weekend. He told Sky Sports: “It can be very difficult and you’ve got to remember, and this is with absolutely no disrespect to journalists or pundits, but you’ve actually never stood in that goal.

“You would classify things as mistakes or errors, and there are things that are glaring sometimes, but often this narrative can be created around a goalkeeper because it’s the pundits and journalists’ job to educate. That’s sometimes quite a dangerous narrative because all of a sudden it starts building momentum and for someone like David, I really feel for him because he has been unbelievable for so many years and every goalkeeper goes through periods [of poor form].

“But for now, David de Gea is still a world-class goalkeeper. It’s a lonely position and those are the margins you play in as a goalkeeper.”