Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has called for constant improvement elsewhere despite David de Gea claiming the Premier League golden glove.
The Spanish stopper guaranteed a share of the award during Saturday afternoon’s 2-0 victory over Wolves at Old Trafford. He could still see his record matched by Liverpool's Alisson Becker or Newcastle stopper Nick Pope.
He will still be toasting a huge success though with it being just the second time that he has claimed the award in his career. De Gea kept 18 clean sheets during the 2017/18 campaign to claim the award after a fantastic campaign.
Despite that, United boss Ten Hag has warned his players against celebrating their achievements too soon with plenty still to improve in the Dutchman’s eyes. Speaking after the Red Devils’ win over Wolves, he said: “I think you have to see the wider perspective.
“We had many clean sheets, I think the most in the league. But then we also had some bad defeats, and we are not scoring that easily. Today another [opposition] goalkeeper is Man of the Match, we do that often, we are very good at that.
“In this moment there is no time for happiness or satisfaction – we have to work and to improve. Get the team ready but improve. That is what I demand from my players, my staff and myself.”
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De Gea will no doubt be aiming to be the outright winner of the award over the final few matches of the campaign. The Red Devils close their campaign against Bournemouth, Chelsea and Fulham.
Away from personal accolades, Ten Hag’s side will also be hoping to rubber-stamp their place in the Champions League before the end of the campaign. Speaking ahead of United’s clutch of concluding fixtures, the Red Devils’ boss said: “We have to see from game to game now.
“The next game is going to be tough as well. We have to prepare for that very well. Every game is difficult. We have to get ready for the game.
“It's not an easy life, you have to be fully ready for every match, every battle in the game. That is what we're working for."
Away from their fight to return to the top table of European football, United will also be aiming to end the season with two pieces of silverware. The Red Devils have already claimed the Carabao Cup with victory over Newcastle at Wembley.
They return to the national stadium early next month as they take on fierce rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
