I admire Man United’s David De Gea, reveals Peter Schmeichel

Peter Schmeichel has spoken of his admiration for Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea.

The 22-year-old endured a difficult start to his Premier League career, making a number of high-profile mistakes and losing his place to Anders Lindegaard.

However, De Gea, who completed a £20m move from Atletico Madrid to Old Trafford in 2011, produced a string of top performances in the second half of the 2011-12 campaign.

Schmeichel, rated as one of United’s greatest-ever goalkeepers, paid credit to De Gea for showing the character to turn around a difficult first season.

“I admire the fella,” Schmeichel told the Manchester Evening News.

“I cannot remember anyone coming into Manchester United and being criticised the way he was criticised. He was ridiculed every day. He was the subject of every debate in the media.

“Every programme possible was talking about him and debating the situation. Yet he still went out there with a smile on his face.”

He added: “He managed to dig himself out of it. By the end of last season people were starting to say this guy is a good goalkeeper. But at the beginning he wasn’t.

“I admire someone who has the mind to do that. Very slowly he is working his way away from what people thought of him 18 months ago.

“There is no doubt in my mind that this fella has a strong mind and to play for Manchester United you need a strong mind.”