Goalkeeper David De Gea is up there with the very best goalkeepers in the world.
That is the view of interim manager Ralf Rangnick, who believes his Spanish number one displays many similarities to Bayern Munich shot-stopper Manuel Neuer.
De Gea, 31, has been with the Red Devils for over 10 years.
After making the switch from La Liga side Atletico Madrid back in 2011 in a deal worth £22.5m, De Gea has since gone on to feature in a whopping 465 matches, in all competitions, keeping 160 clean sheets, along the way.
Read more: Opinion: Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard shows major flaw in his management with Tuanzebe treatment
Although the current 2021-22 campaign sees the Red Devils in patchy form, De Gea has remained a constant positive throughout.
Putting in multiple game-saving stops, the Spain international has undoubtedly been his side’s best player and looks to be well on course to claim his fifth ‘Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year’ award, come the end of the season.
It isn’t just the club’s fanbase who are in awe of De Gea though – manager Rangnick is also a big fan and while speaking to the club’s official website, could not hide his admiration for the 31-year-old.
“Well, I think they are both definitely on the list of the top five goalkeepers in the world,” Rangnick said. “Maybe even in the top three.
“They are both in a fantastic shape, physically and, as well as on the line, when it’s about controlling the box, David De Gea is probably one of the best, if not the best, in the world and we are very happy to have him.
“But, honestly, as a coach, I would prefer more of those games, for example, against Crystal Palace [a 1-0 victory at Old Trafford], where we don’t need him as much and, in order to achieve that, we just need to make sure we don’t have too many shots on goal.
“We had too many shots on our goal, also in the first half against Wolves, and the same was true at Newcastle or even at Norwich. But again, on the other hand, it’s good to have someone like David in goal – a fantastic professional, a fantastic player and it’s great to work with a player like him.”
Ahead of what continues to be a long season for the Red Devils, who remain competitive on three fronts, De Gea has firmly cemented his place as the club’s outright first-choice goalkeeper.
With an FA Cup Third Round tie against Aston Villa next up for Rangnick’s United on Monday evening, although back-up keeper Dean Henderson is a strong candidate to start, given the tricky fixture against an in-form Villa side – De Gea could very well be in for yet another starting appearance.
