OPINION: DE GEA IS THE PEOPLE'S NO.1 KEEPER

What will it take for David De Gea to be officially recognised as the world’s best goalkeeper?

That’s the question I’ve been asking myself since Saturday, following his breath-taking save to deny Liverpool’s Joel Matip in the 0-0 draw at Anfield that earned plaudits from fans, players and pundits.
Us Reds have endorsed the Spaniard’s world no.1 status for several seasons, in light of his consistent heroics throughout the turbulent post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. Without him, particularly during the 2013/14, 14/15 and 15/16 campaigns, there’s no telling where we might have finished up.
Yet for all of De Gea’s deserved and justified praise, there is admittedly a hint of bias in the proclamation he is the number one glovesman on the planet. Bear with me here… but you can be certain that followers of Bayern Munich, Juventus and Real Madrid all say the same about German powerhouse Manuel Neuer, Italian icon Gianluigi Buffon and Costa Rican stopper Keylor Navas.
We can - and will! - argue with conviction that De Gea is technically superior to his trio of peers, and that he is capable of executing saves that are beyond their limits. His reflexes and agility are seemingly unmatched in the current climate, as fans of Liverpool will even admit on the quiet.
Thankfully, we are not alone in pushing his case. Players are too and Matteo Darmian’s name was in the headlines when he respectfully chose between De Gea and his international team-mate Buffon. “I think Gianluigi is the greatest goalkeeper of all time, but right now David is the best in the world,” he told us.
However, for all of the enthusiasm, we must reluctantly acknowledge the cold fact that the three aforementioned goalkeepers have won bigger, bolder prizes in the recent histories of their careers.
Neuer, who is currently out with injury, has claimed five Bundesliga titles and the UEFA Champions League, plus the 2014 FIFA World Cup with Germany, while Buffon has almost lifted every major trophy in football except for the European Cup, which he missed out on in May when losing to Real Madrid and Navas in Cardiff.
Yes, we all scoffed at De Gea’s exclusion from UEFA’s Goalkeeper of the Year shortlist, which was published in August, but you can see reason in their thinking – although Neuer is perhaps fortunate after Bayern under-performed in Europe and won a championship without a competitive challenger.
"With the guy at Bayern, you are looking at the two best goalkeepers in the world," club legend Paddy Crerand told me in Lisbon. "There isn't a lot to split them and, in football, it comes down to trophies."
David is not doing badly on the silverware front, though, it must be said. Last season he added an FA Community Shield, League Cup and Europa League [despite Sergio Romero playing in the final] to a collection that already included his 2012/13 Premier League title and 2016 FA Cup, as well as three prestigious Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year prizes.
In many ways, De Gea is the people’s champion: everyone believes he is the world’s best goalkeeper, but he lacks the official title. Thankfully, this season is his best chance to claim it with safe hands.
In Jose Mourinho’s second year, United look well placed to challenge for the Premier League crown following an accomplished start to the campaign. The Reds are also top of Group A of the Champions League, Europe’s elite competition, following comfortable wins over FC Basel and CSKA Moscow.
Two more victories in the double-header against Benfica should seal our progress to the Round of 16, to face an opponent that finished second in their pool. After that, who knows?
Having already impressed in Group A, most recently by executing two world-class saves in Russia, De Gea has momentum and the knockout rounds are where his claim to the throne will be bolstered.
“There is only one contender for that title and David is number one,” explained a passionate Mickey Thomas in Lisbon, ahead of the European tie against Benfica. “I have watched him over the years, week in and week out, and he has grown so much in stature. He is an amazing goalkeeper. Maybe Neuer is close to him, but I would say De Gea is clearly number one in the world.
“Look, when you are not in the big competitions, you very rarely get recognised. That is why David has perhaps been overlooked in recent seasons when United have struggled. But now he is back in the Champions League, we are flying in the Premier League and everything is going in our direction.
"So there is no question that his performances will soon get the accolades that they deserve. He plays for his national team too and I don’t think anybody who has any knowledge of football will disagree that he is number one. His performances prove that too.”
Whether De Gea ultimately wins the title of world’s best goalkeeper remains to be seen but, for the time being, let’s all be thankful that we have him - the people’s no.1 – as our last line of defence.
The opinions in this story are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Manchester United Football Club.Manchester United’s Champions League Group A match against Benfica kicks off at 19:45 BST on Wednesday. MUTV’s live pre-match show from Portugal begins two hours earlier, at 17:45.