Rio Ferdinand claims David de Gea has done enough to warrant a new contract at Manchester United - even though he may not be the best fit for Erik ten Hag's system.
De Gea, 31, has been on the Red Devils' books for over a decade and remains the first-choice goalkeeper at Old Trafford. That being said, Ten Hag reportedly harbours concerns over the Spaniard's suitability for his brand of football and is said to desire a shot-stopper who is more comfortable with the ball at their feet.
De Gea, for his part, recently stated he would like to extend his contract with United, which expires next summer, although there is the option to extend for a further season. Ferdinand confesses his former teammate is not the best in the business at passing out from the back but threw his weight behind the 'keeper to answer his critics once again.
"I would give him a contract," Ferdinand told BT Sport of De Gea. "I think his character speaks a lot, because he's had times where he got taken out of the team for Dean Henderson [and people have] questioned his quality.
"Even when he first came to the club, people were saying, 'Is he the right one?', because he was so young maybe he's not the right guy, [but he] always comes through.
"The only thing you have to say... we can all say, 'He's a very good goalkeeper'. We look at [Edouard] Mendy at Chelsea, fantastic, one of the best goalkeepers in the world people were saying last season, the season before... The manager wants to play a different style of football.
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"It's all down to the way Erik ten Hag wants to play football. If he wants to play out from the back, like he did with Ajax, it's all about someone who is actually better with their feet and that's probably the biggest strength in their game. David De Gea, that's not his biggest strength.
"He's good enough, I think, with his feet, but his biggest strength is his shot-stopping. That's what he's there [for]. Some managers have gone away from wanting that part to be their strongest part - it's about their feet first."
Speaking after he helped United record a 2-1 victory at Everton on Sunday night, De Gea told BT Sport : "It was great to be in goal today, with the team fighting for three points. I'm just very focused on the games helping the team as much as I can. Of course, I would like to be here for more years, so let's see what happens in the future. I'm really, really happy here."
