David De Gea wants Manchester United captaincy after committing his long-term future to the clubDavid De Gea has revealed his desire to become Manchester United’s new captain and says it is important he takes on a greater leadership role next season.
The United goalkeeper is set to end the uncertainty over his future by signing a new six-year contract worth around £375,000 a week when he returns from the club’s pre-season tour of Australia and Asia. United are due to arrive in Shanghai on Monday ahead of an International Champions Cup match against Tottenham on Thursday.Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he has yet to decide who will be his next permanent captain but that he will announce his decision before United’s opening Premier League game against Chelsea at Old Trafford on Aug 11.
Ashley Young has been filling the role during pre-season but De Gea has signalled his desire to take on the captaincy and believes his experience could have an influential role to play in the development of the club’s crop of emerging youngsters.
“I’ve been captain for some games,” De Gea, 28, said after standing in at times for the likes of Young and the recently-departed club captain, Antonio Valencia, over the past year.“It is amazing to be captain of a club like Manchester United and defend this badge so, of course, I’ll be really, really happy to captain.
“It’s my ninth season, I feel like one of the most experienced players.
“I need to show that on the pitch and try to help the young guys know what Manchester United means and that’s important.”
De Gea’s form faltered during the second half of last season, when his confidence plummeted after a series of error-strewn performances.
But the Spaniard has been named United’s player of the year in four of the past six seasons and, while he is quite shy and not a vocal presence, he commands the highest respect in the Old Trafford dressing room.
United feared they might lose De Gea as a free agent next summer but the decision to make him the club’s highest-paid player after Alexis Sanchez, coupled with the support he received from Solskjaer and his staff, has persuaded the goalkeeper to stay.De Gea is one of only four players, along with Young, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, to have won the Premier League title with United and he believes there will have to be a huge improvement for the club to reclaim the trophy.
“We have to improve a lot,” he told The New Paper in Singapore, where United stayed on the second leg of their tour. “We are Manchester United, we need to fight for trophies. When you put on this badge, that’s what it means - fight for everything, give your best and bring the team again to the top.”
United have made an impressive start to pre-season, with the wins over Perth Glory and Leeds United in Australia and Inter Milan in Singapore particularly notable for their aggressive, high pressing and determination to play out from the back.
De Gea says there are significant strides still to be made but has been encouraged by what he has seen so far.
“I think this pre-season we’re trying to have more of the ball, to keep the ball, to build from the back, to keep control of the game - things we didn’t have last season,” De Gea.
“We have to improve a lot on this. We are working really hard this pre-season, and hopefully we can show it in the first against Chelsea that we have improved a lot from last season.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/07/22/david-de-gea-wants-manchester-united-captaincy-committing-long/
