David De Gea says there are no hard feelings over his Manchester United exit but admitted after his emotional Old Trafford return that he did contemplate retirement before joining Fiorentina.
The 34-year-old’s name echoed around the ground he called home for 12 years after captain Bruno Fernandes led a special presentation ahead of Saturday’s friendly against the Serie A side.
De Gea joined Fiorentina last August after a spending a year without a club following his Old Trafford exit after United’s FA Cup final loss to Manchester City.
That was the last of 545 matches he played for the club, putting him in seventh place in their list of all-time appearance makers, and fans gave him a standing ovation when he was replaced towards the end of 1-1 draw on Saturday.
“It was great,” De Gea said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been back here, so it’s been a special day.
“Seeing old friends, people that I’ve been with for a lot of time. I have a lot of love from them, so very special. Coming to Old Trafford, to the pitch with nearly a full stadium was amazing.”
De Gea saw Sir Alex Ferguson, whom he still refers to as “the boss”, on the eve of a game that allowed him to say a proper farewell to United fans.
“Sometimes it’s difficult to describe with the words how you feel on the pitch, seeing the crowd, the players, everybody there,” he said.
“It was emotional for me, so it’s a game that I’ll never forget for sure.”
Asked if he had any disappointment about the way his exit unfolded in 2023, De Gea said: “No, sometimes football is like it is. You cannot control everything.
“I’ve been here 12 years, very, very nice. It’s one of the best periods of my life.
“Playing for this club is just unbelievable. Especially when you leave the club, you realise how big the club is, how difficult it was to be 12 years in a club like United.
“I’m always grateful for this club, for everyone. It’s been an amazing journey.”
De Gea produced some important saves on his Old Trafford return and is enjoying a new lease of life with Fiorentina.
Asked whether there was a point where he considered packing it in during his year out of the game, he hesitated and said: “Well, always you have these things come into your mind.
“But I was feeling good, I trained again, I was feeling ready to go again.
“Fiorentina gave me the opportunity to play, so I’m feeling very, very good there. It’s like a family, so I’m feeling great, the city is amazing, the club is great.
“You see today we can play against top teams like United, so hopefully this year we can make something special as well.”
De Gea is also hoping the good times roll for United after last season’s embarrassing 15th-placed finish.
“Sometimes this is football,” he said of the last couple of campaigns. “You cannot win all the time.
“I know it’s been some years that United struggle a bit, but it’s one of the best clubs in the world. It’s a massive club.
“Hopefully this year with the new signings and the manager starting a new era they can do something big and let’s see.
“Hopefully this year they can win something and be there where they deserve.”
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