Ander Herrera Says 'God Chose' David De Gea Like Lionel Messi
Manchester United and Spain midfielder Ander Herrera has compared his team-mate David De Gea to Barcelona's Lionel Messi, such are the standards he has set at Old Trafford.
De Gea has been outstanding for the Red Devils once again this season, cementing his status as one of the best players in the world and perhaps the outstanding goalkeeper in the game.
Speaking about his United and La Roja team-mate to The Big Interview (h/t Stephen Crawford of Goal), Herrera believes De Gea is as influential as the Barca man and attributed some of his goalkeeping skills to divine intervention.
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"I think he has something that comes from God—God chose him in the goal and chose Messi on the pitch," said Herrera. "You cannot train what he did against Liverpool. You cannot train what he did against Kun Aguero when he was two metres in front of him and he put his hand out."
The United man went on to stay the stopper has "special abilities" and "you cannot train them, you just have them."
Per OptaJoe, this season he's been crucial for the Red Devils once again, with only champions Manchester City bettering their defensive record:
De Gea found his start in English football difficult, and there were initial questions about whether or not he was capable of handling the physical side of the Premier League.
However, with time he's adjusted and excelled. Not only is De Gea a supreme shot stopper, he's dominant when it comes to commanding his penalty area and always appears in control in one-on-one situations.
During his time at the club De Gea has been crucial to any prizes won by the team; he has winners medals from the Premier League, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the UEFA Europa League.
As noted by Alex Shaw of ESPN, since arriving at United in 2011, the former Atletico Madrid goalkeeper has been sensational for the Premier League giants:
Per Mark Critchley of The Independent, despite continued links to Real Madrid in recent years, United manager Jose Mourinho has ruled out the prospect of De Gea making a switch to the Santiago Bernabeu in the upcoming transfer window.
If United are going to become regular challengers for the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League in the future it is imperative they build a team on the foundations provided by De Gea.
For Spain, the 'keeper has also become key. De Gea will be part of a strong La Roja squad that is fancied to do well at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Like Messi, the Spaniard is capable of swinging a game at the highest level with a moment of brilliance, and there aren't many who boast that attribute.
