In our professional lives, we have
a lot of people who are extremely vocal but don’t offer the best outputs.
Therefore, it is always a privilege to come across somebody who represents
maximum efficiency and minimum fuss. When you look at Manchester United over
the years, Paul Scholes was the epitome of the above mentioned values. David De
Gea the man who recently completed a 100 clean sheets, has today taken over
that mantel.
I used to idolize Scholes growing
up, firstly no one ever came close to his abilities on the football pitch and
his ability to disconnect off the pitch was something to be admired. Being a
Manchester United player was all he cared about and boy, was he a damn fine one
at that. De Gea is quite similar in this regard. He is the best on the pitch
and arguably in the world at what he does, yet you will never hear much about
what he does off the pitch – in this day and age. Someone recently pointed out
to me that De Gea is the most boring united player to follow online as he
rarely gives any insight into his personal life. Surely, that can’t be a bad
thing, he is a footballer who knows how to keep his private life…private.
I am more than happy to punch
anyone who dares to compare Scholes with another player, and in recent years I fume
when anyone brings up a comparison of De Gea with another player. These two are
one of a kind and even comparing them to other players is an insult to their
abilities.
For a player who was ridiculed so
much during his early days, De Gea has shown the fight and gumption expected of
a top Manchester United player. Yes, one day he might leave for Madrid, but it
will be impossible to point out to a single game where he hasn’t given it his all.
In recent years, the tag of the best keeper in the world has been bestowed on
the World Cup winning goalkeeper – Buffon, Casillas, Neuer. But, as of today
there is no better keeper in the world than David De Gea. He is the best shot
stopper in the world, no one manages their penalty box better than and no one
distributes better than him. Yes, and when needed he shows the world he can be
a damn fine sweeper keeper too.
There is something so endearing
about a professional at the top of his game and yet willing to knuckle down,
stay focused and work hard for the good of the team. In United’s darkest years
of the modern era, he has been our knight in shining armor. There would have
been times he must have felt that he deserves better than what Manchester
United had to offer on the pitch, but he didn’t crib, he stayed, he saved – for
Dave Always Saves.
Comments
Post a Comment