Why, then, has de Gea been left out of the Spain squad for this winter’s World Cup? Three Premier League goalkeepers have been preferred de Gea: Brighton’s Robert Sanchez, Brentford’s David Raya, and Chelsea’s Kepa Arrizabalaga all claim a spot and whilst their quality is undoubted, Enrique seems to be dismissing genuine world class ability and a wealth of experience. Is there an off the field issue that is holding de Gea back, or has his up-turn in form simply arrived too late?
It has certainly been a tough few years for de Gea in goal for Manchester United. No one has witnessed the current demise of this huge club quite as closely as their goalkeeper. Signed by Sir Alex Ferguson in the summer of 2011, over eleven years ago, de Gea experienced the feeling of winning a Premier League title in just his second season and was immediately seen as United’s first genuine replacement for Edwin van der Sar. That remains the sole title the Spaniard has won. In what has been a miserable decade for fans of the Manchester club, their only constant has been their ever-present goalie, who has produced exceptional displays in the face of adversity every season since the departure of Ferguson in 2013. He has made over 500 appearances for the club and has won the Player of the Year award a record four times, as well as representing Spain on 45 occasions. It therefore seems inconceivable that Spain would not pick a keeper of his pedigree, especially given that under Ten-Haag, de Gea has regained his confidence and looks to be reaching top form.
He has made over 500 appearances for the club and has won the Player of the Year award a record four times, as well as representing Spain on 45 occasions
Recent performances against Real Sociedad and West Ham United have seen de Gea return to form and this seemed to bode extremely well for Spain heading into a World Cup in less than a month. Therefore, the suspected omission of de Gea can potentially be put down to two things. Age is certainly on the side of all four keepers preferred. Sanchez, Kepa, Unai Simon and Raya are all at least three years junior to the United goalie, crucially all being below thirty years old. Further reasoning could be the errors famously made by de Gea in major tournaments and domestic matches prior to the upcoming World Cup: Allowing Cristiano Ronaldo’s tame attempt from 20 yards to squirt between his hands and into the net in a 3-3 draw against Portugal in 2018 being the most memorable. The Spaniard’s inability to keep out all eleven penalties in Manchester United’s Europa League final against Villarreal in 2021 also bares significance, given the importance of shoot-outs in major tournaments.
Overall, the stats and performances of de Gea tell Spanish fans all they need to know. This is a huge risk taken by Enrique and if Spain fail to achieve world glory or even respectability, severe questions of this selection will be asked.
