The World Cup will be a distraction for Manchester United this season but for David de Gea it will be a time of reflection as he watches on from afar, wondering if he might ever represent his country at a major tournament again.
At the age of 31, he is not old by goalkeeper standards by any means. However, many believe his style of play to be stuck in the past. It seems utterly ridiculous to say, but his job isn't just to simply keep the ball out of the net anymore.
If Spain manager Luis Enrique was choosing his World Cup squad based solely on shot-stopping ability, then De Gea would still be his No.1. The United 'keeper remains a world leader in his quality at keeping the ball out of the net, as he showed on Sunday evening, though it is widely accepted that he could be better at preventing those shots from happening in the first place.
