Fiorentina shot-stopper David de Gea snubbed former Manchester United managers Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho for another influential head coach.
Sir Alex Ferguson brought David de Gea to England from Spain in 2011 as a long-term Manchester United replacement for Edwin van der Sar at Old Trafford.
Following his £18.9m move from Atletico Madrid in 2011, De Gea lifted Man Utd’s last Premier League trophy under Ferguson before the iconic ex-manager retired.
The 35-year-old United legend continued playing at the club long after Ferguson’s exit and later lifted a Europa League title and a League Cup under Jose Mourinho.
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Former manager Sir Alex Ferguson congratulates Cristiano Ronaldo and David de Gea on their achievements ahead of the Premier League match between Manchester United and Newcastle United at Old Trafford in 2022 in Manchester, England.
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David de Gea on his relationship with Quique Sanchez Flores before playing under Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho
Quique Sanchez Flores played a key role in the development of David de Gea at Atletico Madrid ahead of the Manchester United legend’s move to Old Trafford.
De Gea had started his youth career at Atletico and climbed through the academy ranks before the Spaniard eventually broke into the first team at the La Liga club.
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Quique Sanchez Flores rolled the dice with the former Man Utd No 1 as a teenager and De Gea established himself as Atletico’s first-choice shot-stopper under him.
De Gea lifted the Europa League trophy under Flores at Atletico and the former Spain star put his influence above Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho on him.
“I owe a lot to Sanchez Flores, who brought me into the first team at Atletico when I was very young: with him we won the Europa League and the European Super Cup,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
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David de Gea on the key difference between Quique Sanchez Flores and Man Utd icon Sir Alex Ferguson
Despite the impact of Quique Sanchez Flores on his development at Atletico, Fiorentina’s De Gea still holds a strong affinity with ex-United manager Ferguson.
The former Spain international talked up the transformative role that Ferguson had on his entire playing career after he left La Liga behind him with his 2011 move.
“Sir Alex wanted me at United, he was fundamental to me, like a father,” De Gea added.
De Gea lifted a Premier League title, a Europa League trophy, an FA Cup and two League Cups with Man Utd before he finally left the Premier League club in 2023.
The former Atletico and United star has been with current side Fiorentina since he signed for the Serie A outfit as a free agent in 2024.
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