David de Gea is now one the longest-serving players in the current Manchester United squad, having been a mainstay in between the sticks for all the managers who have passed through Old Trafford since his arrival in July 2011.
After a wobbly 18 months, the Spaniard looks to be hitting top form again having pulled off a number of fine stops in recent matches. He is just 22 appearances away from reaching 500 games in the colours of United, having kept 164 clean sheets in his near 11-year stay - nine of which have come this season.
Despite his recent displays, he was left out of the Spain squad for the current international break which surprised many. One of those would have been Paul Woolston, who this week announced he is hanging his gloves up for good due to a persistent hip injury aged just 23.
READ MORE: David de Gea sends message to Manchester United goalkeeper after shock early retirement
After securing a move to United from Newcastle’s Under-23s in 2018, he was able to witness De Gea’s quality up close. Woolston believes the 31-year-old is the best goalkeeper on the planet, singing superlatives about his quality in a piece he wrote on United’s club website .
“The goalkeeper group here is incredible,” he said. “For me, David De Gea is the best goalkeeper in the world – there aren’t words for some of the things he does in training.” He also praised the club’s back-up shot-stoppers, who have a wealth of experience between them.
“Behind him you’ve got Deano ( Dean Henderson ) pushing him hard, Tom Heaton, Lee Grant … the club has some of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League. As a young lad coming through you learn just from watching them, but they’re always full of advice to help you as well. The club really has built a great group of lads there.”
Woolston went on to explain the extent of his hip problems which at one point left him in a wheelchair after a complicated surgery. He revealed how Grant had been a fantastic support to him throughout his hardships.
The youngster added: “Apart from the medical staff, Granty has been one of the main support mechanisms for me and my family. He’s been absolutely brilliant, just checking in on me to make sure I’ve been alright.
“We’ve had some great long chats and it’s been so helpful to have him with me through it all and lean on all of his experience. He didn’t need to do it and I’m sure he has no idea how helpful he’s been.”
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