The Red Devils legend hailed the Spanish national team as “tremendous” and believes that he will soon be back in shape
David De Gea has been supported to maintain his place as undisputed Manchester United goalkeeper for the next 10 years by club legend Peter Schmeichel.
De Gea, 29, has suffered criticism in recent weeks for conceding goals against Tottenham and, more recently, Bournemouth.
Former United United stars Roy Keane, Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville have all publicly chastised the gunshot for his recent performances, while it has been reported that Dean Henderson could take his place when he returns from his loan spell at Sheffield United.
Schmeichel, however, is full of praise for the Spanish national team and expects it to remain the first long-term choice.
“It was exceptional for us, no doubt about it,” the former United goalkeeper told the club’s website. “He overcame it in the most difficult period in modern history for Manchester United.
“He has been up and down and, in essence, he has been our best player. There are no doubts. Four out of five years are our players of the year. This only tells his story about his performances for the club.
He added: “It’s easy to blame the goalkeeper, but I won’t.
“I am trying to show that every goalkeeper must be protected and there is no doubt that the way the team is playing now, as opposed to when a team is playing more defensively, the type of possibility you are giving is best suited. David’s skills.
“That kind of bailouts we saw came from the possibilities created by being defensive. At the moment, we are attacking a lot and this leaves man-to-man strikers. Become like a breakaway. These are the goals we are giving now.
“I think it needs some time to adapt to the way we play.
“If you have been a goalkeeper for three or four years and are not busy now, you have to change the game a bit. You have to find new ways to stay focused, to be with the game. Everyone has to adapt and I think it’s the same for him too.
“David is our number 1 – he’s still a young boy anyway. He could continue for another 10 years. Let’s go back. We have to support what we have because we know that what we have is really good. “
But the former Danish international has stopped saying that De Gea is the best in his position, as he feels that the quality of a goalkeeper depends on whether it is suitable for the team’s playing style.
“My basic goalkeeper philosophy is impossible to say who the best goalkeeper in the world is,” he said.
“You have to look at the team they play and the style of play.
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“I always use the two Manchester goalkeepers as an example. Man City has kept the ball and they need their goalkeeper to stay away from his goal and, whatever has reached the top, he should have made it. Furthermore, it had to be someone who could build the game, even outside the box.
“If you changed them, the way we played under Jose Mourinho, would you see that Ederson would be a good goalkeeper for us? I can’t see him. He’s a different type of goalkeeper and David couldn’t play with Ederson.
“I really think a goalkeeper has to adapt to the style of play in which the team is playing.”
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