Which goalkeepers could hit Manchester United milestones in 2019/20?
By Ollie Slack
A number of Manchester United players could hit major milestones for the club next season and over the next few days, I’ll be taking a look at which goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and forwards are close by. First up, it’s the shot-stoppers.
Starting with United’s number one, David de Gea, who will be entering his ninth season at the club.
In 2011, De Gea was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson as Edwin Van Der Sar’s replacement. The Dutchman left behind big shoes to fill and it took the Spaniard a while to grow into them.
Labelled lightweight by pundits and lazy by his own coach, Eric Steele, De Gea struggled in his first campaign and was dropped numerous times for trustworthy backup Anders Lindegaard.
Steele has since commented on De Gea’s attitude being a major issue in his first year in England.
"“One issue with him was that he was just 71 kilos. We worked with him on and off the field to make him more powerful. We changed his lifestyle. He would finish training and want to go home. When I told him to come back in the afternoon he’d ask ‘Why?’”"
Soon after, he won his first Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award in 2013/14 and his name was well and truly in the hat for the world’s best keeper. Five years and three more Sir Matt Busby awards later and De Gea has firmly established himself as one of, if not the best goalkeeper in the world.
In total De Gea has made 362 appearances for the Red Devils and his 38-shy of joining the 400 club. It is an exclusive club with names such as Denis Law, Bryan Robson, George Best and Rio Ferdinand to name a few.
He would be the only United goalkeeper in the 400 club and the second highest of all time with Alex Stepney the only other shot-stopper higher with 539 appearances and 175 clean sheets.
De Gea has managed to keep 128 clean sheets thus far for United, however, it would take a mammoth effort from the defensive unit to register the 22 needed to reach 150.
On average, De Gea makes 45 appearances a season with 16 clean sheets, meaning he is likely to join the 400 club, but would have to wait another year in order to reach another impressive milestone.
He also needs 25 appearances for 300 Premier League matches in a United shirt, no reds goalkeeper has made more.
Sergio Romero, Lee Grant, Joel Pereira and Dean Henderson
Sergio Romero, however, will be hoping to get up to his half-century next campaign being only five away from 50 appearances for the club. If he makes his average of 11, he will get there comfortably.
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Lee Grant and Joel Pereira have just the four matches between them so can rest easy, although the 36-year old former Stoke keeper will be hoping to get his first clean sheet for his boyhood club.
From a man in the twilight years of his career to one who’s just started, Dean Henderson, who impressed on loan at Sheffield United last campaign, could make his debut under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2019/20.