The latest Manchester United news as the goalkeeper will return to Old Trafford on Saturday with his Fiorentina team.
David De Gea during the pre-season friendly match between Nottingham Forest and ACF Fiorentina at City Ground.
David De Gea will return to Manchester United this weekend. (Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
David De Gea will return to Old Trafford on Saturday as Manchester United take on Fiorentina in the Snapdragon Cup.
The fixture is the final match before next weekend’s Premier League opener against Arsenal on Sunday, August 17. United have confirmed that there will be a presentation to De Gea before the match to mark his time at the club.
The goalkeeper spent 12 years at United, making a total of 545 appearances for the club. During his time at Old Trafford he helped the team win one Premier League title, one Europa League, one FA Cup, two League Cups and three Community Shields.
He left the club in the summer of 2023, and was replaced by Andre Onana in goal. De Gea was without a club for the full 2023/24 season, but has since revealed that he did have offers to remain in England.
“I turned down offers from England because after spending so many years at a club like United, you feel like you don't want to play for another club in England,” he said in an interview with Cronache last month.
“I only wanted Manchester United, and while it's true that I received offers from England, I knew it would be impossible for me to play anywhere else. I've spent my whole life there; it's the club that shaped me and allowed me to have a wonderful career. I felt it was time to rest and come back even stronger.”
The goalkeeper ended up having a year out of the game and explained how it actually helped him in the long-term.
“During this year off, which was special for me given that I'd been playing at a high level for 15 years, I trained at the Spanish national team's federal training centre and on a fifth division pitch in England. I think this year off did me great mentally and physically.
“People asked me, 'When are you coming back?' I reassured everyone, 'I'm fine, I'll be back now .' It was normal for people to have some doubts after a year out, but I was sure that after a game or two I'd be back to my old self."
He eventually completed a move to Fiorentina last summer and quickly established himself as first choice, playing 42 times in all competitions. Speaking about his time in Italy so far, he said: “I settled in quickly in Florence.
“From the first moment, I felt at home, especially in this sports center, which is incredible, as are the people. Everything was easy : I was talking about it the other day with some teammates that it's very difficult to find facilities like this. There must be two, three, or four in Europe. It's impressive. It's got everything, it's incredible.”
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