Edwin van der Sar has delivered a glowing verdict on David de Gea - but admits his Manchester United successor is not "perfect".
De Gea arrived at Old Trafford as Van der Sar's replacement in 2011 after bursting onto the scene with Atletico Madrid. Then a fresh-faced Spaniard, he had big shoes to fill as his forebear excelled during six years with the Red Devils, making 266 appearances and winning seven major honours.
Although there have been some rocky moments, De Gea, 32, has largely impressed since Sir Alex Ferguson brought him to the Premier League and he has made an astonishing 507 appearances for United. While Van der Sar, 52, has been delighted by what he has seen from his heir to the No. 1 jersey, he still believes there are areas where he could improve.
"David has done fantastically. He succeeded me in 2011, it's now 2022 - he's played 11 years and five times player of the season," Van der Sar told The Athletic. "Yes, he is a certain type of goalkeeper, and he is very good at certain points and a little bit less at other ones. Nobody is perfect.
"But he is still young. He has developed himself. It has also to do with outfield players, the way the coach want to play, the way they want to play the ball from defensive areas. On the goalkeeping side, I don't think there are any complaints regarding David."
Van der Sar retired after playing his final game for United - the 2011 Champions League final - aged nearly 41, so it is no surprise he views 32-year-old De Gea as "still young". If there is one area Erik ten Hag would like to see improvement from his shot-stopper, it would be his ability to pass out from the back.
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"Nowadays the goalkeepers, they are amazing in how they can put the ball with the left foot and the right foot," Van der Sar added. "Alisson and Ederson are two great examples, the way they hit the ball is inch-perfect on the crest of the jersey. My game was more about coming outside the box to anticipate and intercept a through ball. They have become much more 11 playing."
De Gea has kept five clean sheets in the Premier League this season, conceding 20 goals in 14 outings. Despite earning 45 caps for his country, he has not been included in Luis Enrique's Spain squad for the World Cup.
De Gea is out of contract at the end of the season, but the Red Devils have the option to extend for another year.
