sport news David De Gea hits out at critics as he looks to sign a new deal with Man United trends now

David De Gea has heard it all before. All the talk, all the noise. That he’s not good enough with the ball at his feet, that if Erik ten Hag wants Manchester United to play out from the back, he’ll need another goalkeeper. De Gea’s been around the block long enough to know that the best way to shut it out is to get on with the job.

Get on with making the kind of miraculous saves he produced against Crystal Palace. The one where he tipped Odsonne Edouard’s shot on to the bar was so good it’s already been thrust into the debate of where it ranks in his collection of best ever. Get on, too, with keeping clean sheets and winning games for United, starting on Sunday against Premier League leaders Arsenal.

A clean sheet at the Emirates this afternoon would put De Gea just two behind Peter Schmeichel’s record of 180 for United. In the Spaniard’s mind, that backlog of achievements does enough talking.

‘I don’t have to show anything,’ says De Gea. ‘I showed already for many years my qualities. I know people love to talk but I’m used to that. I’m just performing as well as I can, helping the team and trying my best all the time.

‘I have lived a lot of things. I get through many, many difficult moments. I don’t care, to be honest. I just focus on my games, on my training and on my team.’

There is, of course, still the matter of his contract with De Gea’s current deal up at the end of the season. Throw in, too, the latest reports that Ten Hag is interested in Brentford keeper David Raya. And yet De Gea is understood to be close to re-signing, albeit on a lower salary. He’s said he wants to stay at United for the rest of his career.

‘I’m feeling great, I’m feeling really well,’ he says. ‘I’m helping the team, training well, feeling confident. It was a great save [to deny Edouard]. As soon as I saw the ball coming, I doubted if I could make it but I got a touch. So, I’m feeling really good, let’s keep going.’