Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea is closing in on 500 appearances for the club he joined back in 2011.
De Gea, who is set to start against Newcastle tomorrow will join an illustrious list of United legends who have played more than 500 games for the 20-time English champions.
Some of the names include Ryan Giggs (963), Bobby Charlton (758), Paul Scholes (718), Bill Foulkes (688), Gary Neville (602), Wayne Rooney (559), Alex Stepney (539), Tony Dunne (535), Denis Irwin (529) and Joe Spence (510).
The club officially confirmed that De Gea would receive a commemorative plaque before the Newcastle game to mark his incredible achievement.
Official: David de Gea will be presented with an engraved plate ahead of kick-off against Newcastle United to honour his 500th appearance for #mufc 🧤
— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) October 15, 2022
Nevertheless, there are still question marks over the Spaniard’s future at the Theatre of Dreams.
De Gea could be on his way out as early as this summer, with his terms expiring at the end of the season. The club has an option to trigger a one-year extension clause.
Ten Hag is said to harbour doubts regarding De Gea’s ability to fit into his system and his suitability as a sweeper-keeper.
It is an open secret that the Reds are in the hunt for a long-term replacement to come in place of the 31-year-old, with links to Porto’s Diogo Costa stronger than ever.
The Mirror reveals how De Gea, in response to Ten Hag’s requirements and in the hunt for a new contract, has altered his game. Against Everton and Omonia, the United shot-stopper was far better, coming out of his line multiple times to clear the ball, claim crosses and relieve pressure.
His distribution has also improved a lot.
The fear amongst fans is that the player may have only changed his ways so as to get a new deal and will revert to his old self as soon as he gets a new contract.
Hopefully, he can continue to modernize his game and possibly give the manager a headache when a decision will need to be made on his future.
Â
Â
United Matchday Magazine – the ultimate match experience
Take your seat for the Newcastle match and get instant access to the best online United magazine around!
- Get all the match build-up, articles, news, puzzles, nostalgia and humour
- Online football content like you’ve never seen before
- No ads, no clickbait, no fake news – just 100% pure United
- Instantly delivered to your device with easy and secure online ordering
- Click Preview to see more or buy for just £1.25/$1.50
- Limited time offer: SAVE £10 on a season pass – use discount code SEASON35 at checkout.
