The significance of the moment was not lost on the observer. Instead of watching United’s Champions League opponents, Valencia, the attention was drawn to the teenage goalkeeper from the opposing team, Atletico Madrid. With David de Gea’s departure, the last remaining survivor of the Ferguson era is now gone, marking a momentous shift for Manchester United. This is the first time since the 1973-74 relegation season that the team will not have anyone who has played for or will play for the legendary Scot. In fact, this is the first time since 1934-35 that there will be no players who have been under the guidance of both Ferguson and Matt Busby.
Although Erik ten Hag seeks advice from Ferguson, he also breaks away from the past in certain ways, as seen with the additions of Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo. However, De Gea was always intended to be a part of Ferguson’s legacy. He was bought when Ferguson was nearing his 70th birthday, with his successors in mind. De Gea embodied the selfless nature of Ferguson, providing Manchester United with 545 appearances, the seventh highest in the club’s history. Among Ferguson’s signings, only Wayne Rooney surpasses him in terms of appearances. De Gea also achieved 190 clean sheets, surpassing even the legendary Peter Schmeichel by 10.
However, De Gea’s legacy leads to different conclusions. Despite his contributions, his dozen seasons at Manchester United only resulted in one league title. In the previous 13 seasons, United won eight league titles, appeared in four Champions League finals, and claimed two victories on the grandest stage. De Gea’s tenure coincided with United’s wilderness years, and in 2021-22, he even became one of their most vocal critics. His frustration was evident as his own excellent performances highlighted the team’s shortcomings. Sadly, his last game ended in disappointment, with a goal conceded within 13 seconds in the FA Cup final and a costly mistake leading to Ilkay Gundogan’s winning goal.
De Gea’s final year was overshadowed by a series of indignities, including United’s Europa League exit and embarrassing errors. His later years at Old Trafford were plagued by an increasing number of mistakes and limitations in distribution. While he made impressive saves with his feet, he struggled to utilize them effectively to find his teammates. The 4-0 defeat to Brentford in August 2023 highlighted his unsuitability for Ten Hag’s style of play, emphasizing the fact that De Gea seemed to belong to a bygone era. Despite being only a few years older than his counterparts such as Alisson, Ederson, and Andre Onana, De Gea appeared outdated in a rapidly evolving role that demanded more than just shot-stopping abilities.
Once hailed as the future, De Gea is now a part of the past at the age of 32. While he almost joined Real Madrid in 2015, a faulty fax machine prevented the move. However, there is currently no rush to acquire his services. Even before the termination of his contract negotiations with Manchester United, it seemed unlikely that he would retain the position of first choice goalkeeper. Staying at the club would have meant accepting a significant pay cut due to the generous terms of his previous deal. Although he was once considered the world’s highest-paid goalkeeper, in reality, he was probably only among the top five during his peak years. There were times when he seemed unbeatable, exemplified by his incredible 14 saves against Arsenal in 2017.
Manchester United labeled him a “legend” in their announcement of his departure. While there is some truth to this statement, De Gea’s excellence often shone through in mediocre teams, especially in the years following Ferguson’s retirement. He was named United’s Player of the Year a record four times, but this was partially due to a lack of competition. It is worth noting that Ferguson’s greatest goalkeeping signings, Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar, never received this accolade. Both goalkeepers chose to leave the club, with Schmeichel ending his career on a high note by lifting the Champions League trophy in 1999. De Gea’s departure shares similarities with another goalkeeper who played 500 games for United, Alex Stepney, who was eventually dropped by his fifth manager, Dave Sexton. Like De Gea, Stepney also enjoyed his best years in his mid-twenties.
Although it once appeared that De Gea would remain a fixture at Manchester United for years to come, it became clear that he was out of sync even before the interest in Onana arose. Despite his standout performances in the mid-2010s, his departure serves as a reminder that the past decade did not go according to plan for the club.
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