Summary
David de Gea was one of the best goalkeepers to ever play for Manchester United.
The Spaniard lined-up alongside some incredible stars in the 12 years he spent at OId Trafford.
De Gea named the five best players during his time at the Theatre of Dreams.
For as dramatic as the decline of Manchester United has been since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club, there have still been one or two bright moments and one or two players who have managed to forge a positive legacy for themselves as a Red Devil, even through troubling times. And one person who is the epitome of that is David de Gea.
The Spaniard remains to this day one of the greatest goalkeepers Old Trafford has ever witnessed, and is a four-time Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year recipient, also being the only player to win the award three years in a row. De Gea spent his first two seasons in a title-contending United team, winning the Premier League in the 2012/13 season, but then stuck with the club through times of trouble.
In an interview with La Repubblica newspaper, the 34-year-old named the five greatest teammates during his time at the Theatre of Dreams, including just two players from the aforementioned final title-winning team and no mention of current captain Bruno Fernandes or Paul Pogba.
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Robin van Persie
Years as De Gea's teammate: 2012-2015
When De Gea looks at himself in the reflection of his only Premier League title, he can thank Robin van Persie for it, as without the flying Dutchman, he probably would have never gotten his hands on it. The season prior (De Gea's debut one, where he struggled immensely), United lost out to Sergio Aguero's last-minute winner against QPR, one of the greatest moments in Premier League history, which handed the championship to the noisy neighbours. Sir Alex Ferguson knew more firepower was needed, so he acted.
In came Van Persie from Arsenal, and from the get-go, he was a revelation. His 2012/13 season is perhaps one of the most influential in United's recent history, as he helped them reclaim their title. He never hit the same heights again after that, but what he achieved over the course of that season was enough to make him beloved in the North West.
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Cristiano Ronaldo
Years as De Gea's teammate: 2021-2022
Not everyone is fortunate enough to say that they had the opportunity to play with one of, if not the very best in the business. However, for 18 months, De Gea had the opportunity to call Cristiano Ronaldo his teammate at a time when it truly felt as though there was a resurgence happening at Old Trafford.
However, as then manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer later admitted, signing the iconic striker back was a mistake that arguably derailed a team who went from second in the league to outside the top four the following season. Nevertheless, the Spanish shotstopper got to see firsthand what made Ronaldo so special, and there can be no complaints with his inclusion.
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Wayne Rooney
Years as De Gea's teammate: 2011-2017
In terms of his individual performances, Wayne Rooney's best season with De Gea at the club was actually his first, where he acted as the main man up top and grabbed 41 goal contributions in 43 games – a record which today would be lauded. And the Englishman was still incredible even after that, though his goalkeeper teammate ultimately did catch him as his decline was slowly taking place.
By the time Rooney left the club in 2017, albeit as a bonafide legend, he had been relegated to a bench player, lucky to get on the pitch, while still being club captain.
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Years as De Gea's teammate: 2016-2018
It was a short but sweet stint at Manchester United for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who arrived with as big of an aura as anyone could possibly imagine in 2016. The Swede had proved himself all over Europe except in the Premier League, and despite being well into his thirties, made an immediate impact.
He scored 28 goals in his first season, which was also cut short after he suffered a knee injury that would rule him out of the last couple of months of the campaign. When he returned, he failed to make the same impact and would eventually leave the club to join LA Galaxy in the MLS.
Romelu Lukaku
Years as De Gea's teammate: 2017-2019
The final selection is perhaps the most surprising, as for the most part, many Manchester United fans would look at Romelu Lukaku's time at Old Trafford and see him as one of the weaker signings. However, that is not the case for De Gea, who rates the Belgian incredibly highly.
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All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt - accurate as of 30/03/2025.