"He is a great guy" – David Moyes says he is 'pleased' for Manchester United star for role in win against West Ham
West Ham United manager David Moyes has heaped praise on Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea for his standout performance in his team's 1-0 win against the Hammers.
The Red Devils climbed up to fifth in the Premier League standings with the narrow victory at Old Trafford on Sunday (October 30). Marcus Rashford's diving header to convert Christian Eriksen's cross in the 38th minute proved to be the decisive goal.
De Gea, 31, produced a masterclass between the sticks to register his fifth Premier League clean sheet of the season. He pulled off four saves in the contest, including crucial reaction saves off Kurt Zouma and Declan Rice in the second half.
Fighting together. Winning together 🔴 https://t.co/60gjaDKUPn
Speaking to Sky Sports (via BBC), Moyes singled out De Gea for praise, saying:
"We know what a great keeper De Gea is, he was during my time here, and we hoped he wouldn't save one of those two chances. I'm pleased for De Gea because he is a great guy but disappointed that one of those didn't go in."
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag also praised De Gea. Lauding his shot-stopping and sweeping abilities, he said (via BBC):
"Everyone has their own opinion, but for me, the first thing for a goalkeeper is to protect the goal and make sure you don't concede goals. In that fact, he is magnificent. But with the feet, he has capabilities as well."
Ten Hag backed the Spaniard, who arrived from Atletico Madrid for £17 million in 2011, to continue impressing with his exploits in goal. He added:
"I am really happy with David. He is a great goalkeeper. He is only 31. He is fit. He can progress even more. He was already impressive good for Manchester United, and I think he will do that in the future as well."
Sum up David de Gea's performance in one word... 👏
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De Gea has registered eight clean sheets in 17 games across competitions this season, conceding 19 goals.
Manchester United's David de Gea left out of Spain's provisional 2022 FIFA World Cup squad
Manchester United star David de Gea has been left out of Spain's provisional FIFA World Cup squad by manager Luis Enrique.
Enrique announced a 55-man squad of probables for the quadrennial event last week. Athletic Bilbao's Unai Simon, Brighton & Hove Albion's Robert Sanchez and Brentford's David Raya are expected to be the three goalkeepers at the Qatar showpiece.
Chelsea's Kepa Arrizabalaga and Getafe's David Soria are the back-ups in case of any injuries or illness before the start of the tournament. De Gea, who has represented La Roja 45 times since his international debut in 2014, last played for his national side in October 2020.