Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic voiced their concerns regarding their Manchester United teammate’s abilities, as noted by Patrice Evra. However, De Gea ultimately proved his critics wrong over the subsequent weeks, months, and years.
Evra, who made 379 appearances for United during an illustrious eight-year tenure, shared intriguing reflections on his experiences at Old Trafford in an episode of The Overlap, presented by Sky Bet.
During a discussion with Gary Neville, Wayne Rooney, Roy Keane, and Ian Wright, the Frenchman addressed various topics, including David de Gea’s initial period at the club following his £18.9 million transfer from Atletico Madrid.
Sir Alex Ferguson famously missed a League Cup match to observe De Gea play and personally chose him as Edwin van der Sar’s successor. However, the Spaniard faced challenges in adjusting to English football and frequently became a target for opposing teams.
Evra revealed that United’s central defenders, Ferdinand and Vidic, even raised their concerns with Ferguson regarding De Gea’s communication skills, especially in comparison to Anders Lindegaard, who was serving as the backup goalkeeper at that time.
“For me, Edwin van der Sar was the captain of the defense,” Evra remarked. “The issue arose when David de Gea arrived. I recall that he was not vocal, and Vidic and Rio expressed that ‘Anders [Lindegaard] is more communicative, so he should be the one to play.'”
We would alternate between playing one match with Anders and another with De Gea. We informed the manager, “You must choose one, as this is undermining the defense’s stability.” Although De Gea made some errors, Ferguson ultimately decided to retain him, a choice that proved to be well-founded. De Gea received the club’s Player of the Year award four times and holds the record for the most clean sheets in Manchester United’s history, totaling 190.
Evra recounted, “I recall a particular match where De Gea was performing poorly. Sir Alex told him, ‘You know what, you are really struggling.’ However, he then declared, ‘From now on, you will play every match; you will be the first choice because I believe in you. I have faith in you.’ That was the turning point for David de Gea’s career. Anders mentioned to me that he was meant to be the first choice, but he sustained an injury during a training session just before that game, leaving the manager with no option but to select De Gea.”
De Gea departed from Manchester United in 2023 and spent a year without a club before rejoining the football scene with Serie A team Fiorentina.
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