David de Gea spent 12 years at Manchester United before leaving them as a free agent at the end of the 2022/23 season.
The goalkeeper, who was without a club last season, joined Fiorentina on a free transfer in the summer window and has impressed for them this season, keeping five clean sheets and conceding 11 goals from 12 matches.
Firenze Viola have had a chat with former Manchester United assistant manager Mike Phelan about the 34-year-old.
Phelan had two spells at Old Trafford, first as Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant between 2008 and 2013, and then as Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s deputy between December 2018 and June 2022.
He was at the club when Manchester United signed De Gea from Atlético Madrid in 2011 and has worked with Spaniard closely at the Premier League side. Phelan is surprised that his former club didn’t do enough to retain the stopper.
“No, it doesn’t surprise me [that De Gea moved to Italy]. If anything, what surprised me was that he decided to leave Manchester United in the summer. Or rather that United did not confirm him. It was a bit of a premature decision in my opinion,” he said.
When asked if the goalkeeper’s exit is a ‘regret’ for Manchester United, Phelan explained: “Yes, it is. I was very sad that he left. I have worked with David since the beginning of his career and I think he is a very serious professional, someone who works hard every day he goes to the field to train.”
De Gea made 545 appearances for Manchester United, keeping 190 clean sheets and conceding 590 goals in the process. André Onana replaced him at Old Trafford.
