Rio Ferdinand delivers verdict on Man United star David De Gea
Rio Ferdinand delivers his verdict on David De Gea's situation at Manchester United this season
Rio Ferdinand has urged Manchester United to stick with David De Gea and give the Spaniard the chance to rediscover his best form with the Red Devils.
The goalkeeper’s form was once again called into question at the weekend when his error-strewn performance contributed to Manchester United’s 3-1 loss to Chelsea FC in the FA Cup final at Wembley.
De Gea has found himself under the spotlight for the wrong reasons in recent months, with the shot-stopper having made a number of high-profile errors in the Manchester United goal.
With De Gea in patchy form, it has been suggested that the Red Devils could be ready to give Dean Henderson a chance at Old Trafford next season after his impressive displays on loan to Sheffield United.
However, Ferdinand, who played alongside De Gea at Old Trafford, feels that the best option is to stick with the Spaniard and give him the chance to rediscover his top form for the Red Devils.
Speaking to BT Sport, Ferdinand said: “Listen, has David De Gea been making mistakes? Yes, he has made mistakes. Is he low on confidence? Yes, he is low on confidence.
“But has he got the character to come back? Has he proven his character in years gone by? Yes, he has.
“When he came to Manchester United he was a 19-year-old and there were question marks straight away over whether he was good enough, is he too slim, is he too frail, he’s not ready to be Man United’s number one goalkeeper.
“He dispelled all of those things that were being said about him through character, hard work, determination and – above anything else – quality.
“He’s been Player of the Year four out of the last six years. This guy, when there was inconsistency at Manchester United, he was the consistent factor all the time there.
“Yes, he’s had a bad time there, a bad spell, confidence is low – but does that mean you go out and get rid of him?
“Who are you going to get? Tell me who is out there now they’re going to go and get?
“Dean Henderson is a young goalkeeper… it’s still a big gamble. Who is out there who is actually able to be bought right now, who is going to go in and be a world-class goalkeeper right now at Manchester United?
“The only one I see is [Jan] Oblak. But can you get him out of Atletico Madrid? And if you do, how much are you going to have to spend? An obscene amount of money. I say stick with him [De Gea]. He’s earned that right to be stuck with.”
De Gea will be expecting to feature for Manchester United when the Red Devils take on Leicester City away from home in their final game of the Premier League season on Sunday as they chase a top-four finish.
The Red Devils will then switch their attentions to Europa League affairs and the return leg of their round of 16 clash against LASK in August as they aim to win a trophy in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first full season in charge at Old Trafford.
