David de Gea

<p>David de Gea Quintana was born on November 7, 1990, in Madrid, Spain, the son of former professional goalkeeper José de Gea. Joining Atlético Madrid's youth academy at age thirteen, de Gea rose rapidly through the ranks, making his senior debut in September 2009 at age eighteen in the UEFA Champions League. In 2010, he helped Atlético win the inaugural UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup, defeating Inter Milan with a penalty save from Diego Milito.</p><p>In June 2011, Sir Alex Ferguson signed the twenty-year-old Spaniard to Manchester United for £18.9 million to succeed Edwin van der Sar. Despite initial scrutiny regarding the physical demands of English aerial crosses, de Gea transformed into the world's premier shot-stopper through intensive physical conditioning and revolutionary foot-save technique. He played a pivotal role in United's 2012–13 Premier League title triumph—Sir Alex Ferguson's farewell season.</p><p>Over twelve seasons at Old Trafford, de Gea made 545 appearances—surpassing Peter Schmeichel and Alex Stepney for the most appearances and clean sheets (190) by a goalkeeper in Manchester United history. He won the Premier League, FA Cup, UEFA Europa League, and two League Cups. Unprecedentedly for a goalkeeper, he was voted Manchester United's Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year four times (including three consecutive years: 2014, 2015, 2016, and again in 2018). He represented Spain in the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups, earning 45 senior caps, before joining Italian Serie A club Fiorentina in 2024 to continue his world-class goalkeeping career.</p>