Krishnan Sreekumar
Goalkeeper David de Gea makes Manchester United demand after Champions League exit
Speaking after his side’s 1-0 loss to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League (h/t Manchester Evening News), Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea has demanded more from the club in the future to win trophies.
Renan Lodi’s strike in the first half of the game ensured that Atletico progressed to the quarterfinals of the Champions League, winning 2-1 on aggregate at Old Trafford in the second leg of the Round of 16 tie.
de Gea acknowledged that the team had now gone years without winning any trophies, but insisted that they want to achieve good things and fight for titles in the near future.
“You’re right, too many years without any trophies, we are fighting for trophies. So I think we need to be clear, we want to achieve good things, fight for trophies.”
With the UCL exit, United have now gone five years since their last trophy, which came in 2017 after the club won the UEFA Europa League under Jose Mourinho, where de Gea was part of the squad.
“Much more from everyone”
Despite joining the club in 2011, the Spaniard has only been able to add four winner’s medals with the club. Last season, he came close to winning yet another trophy but missed his spot-kick in the penalty shootout against Villarreal in the final of the Europa League.
The former Atletico Madrid keeper said that the side did not want to play just for a top-four position in the Premier League and that they need much more from everyone at Old Trafford to fight for other titles in the coming years.
“We don’t just want to play for the top four, and be there, go out of the Champions League [before] quarter-finals, so we need much more from everyone because this club is too big for where we are now. We are far from fighting places for the Premier League and Champions League. We need much more from everyone.”
de Gea is one of only two players in the first team who have won the Premier League title, and he was part of the last league title-winning side at Old Trafford. A Champions League aside, he has won everything else in club football in England with United.
He himself has seen how far the club has fallen in the past decade, barely competing for the league title and scraping through to the Champions League at times. The Spaniard has been a regular through all these campaigns, but could not inspire the team to greatness.
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Through these tough times, the keeper has been our best player and saved the side from horrendous results with his wonder saves and reflexes. United fans have de Gea to thank for keeping them in games at times.
He deserves much more for all that he has done at the club, and ahead of a new season with a new manager, we can hope that he gets more trophies as a reward for guiding the team through tough times.
