David De Gea has said he has no ill feelings about leaving Manchester United but admitted he considered retirement before joining Fiorentina after a touching return to Old Trafford.
The 34-year-old's name was heard around the stadium he has called home for 12 years after captain Bruno Fernandes made a special introduction ahead of Saturday's friendly against the Serie A side.
De Gea signed for Fiorentina in August last year after spending a year without a club following his departure from Old Trafford following United's FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City.
It was the last of 545 appearances he made for the club, putting him seventh on the all-time list of appearance-makers. He received a standing ovation from the fans when he was substituted late in the game, which ended 1-1 on Saturday.
“It was great,” De Gea said. “I haven't been here for a long time, so it was a special day.”
“Meeting old friends, people I've spent many years with. They really appreciate me, it's something special. Walking out at Old Trafford in front of a nearly full stadium was just amazing.”
De Gea met Sir Alex Ferguson, who he still calls “the boss”, on the eve of the game, giving him the chance to bid a fitting farewell to United fans.
“Sometimes it’s hard to describe in words what you feel on the pitch, seeing the crowd, the players and everyone there,” he said.
“It was exciting for me, so I definitely won’t forget this game.”
Asked if he was disappointed with the way his departure in 2023 had been handled, De Gea replied: “No, sometimes in football it is like that. You can't control everything.”
“I spent 12 years here, it was really, really great. It's one of the best periods of my life.
It's just incredible to play for this club, especially when you leave it and realise how big it is and how difficult it was to spend 12 years at a club like United.
“I will always be grateful to this club and everyone in it. It has been a wonderful journey.”
De He
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
