David de Gea leaves Manchester United: Decoding his stats
David de Gea has decided to leave Manchester United on Saturday after 12 years of association. The Spanish custodian's contract expired at the end of June and despite all the meetings, the club had no agreement over signing a new contract. A four-time winner of the club Player of the Year award leaves after recording 545 appearances with the Red Devils. Here's more.
Why does this story matter?
De Gea leaves United as a free agent after 12 seasons at Old Trafford. The 32-year-old's contract with United expired at the end of June. Both parties failed to agree on a new deal despite talks that took place throughout the season. United are in talks to sign Andre Onana from Inter Milan and are expected to complete the deal soon.
Here's De Gea's farewell message
"I just wanted to send this farewell message to all Manchester United supporters," De Gea tweeted. "I would like to express my unwavering gratitude and appreciation for the love from the last 12 years. We've achieved a lot since Sir Alex Ferguson brought me to this club. I took incredible pride every time I pulled on this shirt," an emotional De Gea added.
De Gea's overall Premier League numbers
De Gea made 415 appearances for United in the Premier League. He clocked 147 clean sheets. He conceded 446 goals. He has the fourth-highest number of clean sheets in Premier League history after Petr Cech (202), David James (169), and Mark Schwarzer (152). De Gea's 1,157 saves is the second-highest after Foster (1,248). He had 17 errors leading to a goal.
Breaking down De Gea's Premier League 2022-23 season in numbers
In the Premier League 2022-23 season, DDG made 38 appearances, keeping the highest number of clean sheets (17). He made 101 saves. De Gea made a pass completion of 68.33%. He managed 1,371 passes. De Gea conceded 43 goals, besides making 27 clearances and winning five aerial battles. He had two errors leading to a goal and saved one penalty.
Most clean sheets for Manchester United
De Gea made more appearances in the PFA Team of the Year than any other goalkeeper in Premier League history (5). He has kept more clean sheets than any other goalkeeper in Manchester United's history (190). He won two Premier League Golden Glove awards and one Save of the Month award in 2022-23. He also won one Premier League Player of the Month award.
Erik ten Hag heaps praise on DDG
United manager Erik ten Hag said De Gea will always be remembered as one of the best. "To have won player of the year awards from both the fans and his team-mates, each on four occasions, shows the level of his performance and he will always be remembered as one of the very best goalkeepers in the history of the club," said Ten Hag.
De Gea won these trophies with United
De Gea won the Premier League in 2012-13. He won one FA Cup in 2015-16, besides being a runner-up in 2022-23. He won two EFL Cups in 2016-17 and 2022-23. He also won three Community Shields (2011, 2013, 2016) and one Europa League in 2016-17.
