Alex Manninger, a former Arsenal, Fiorentina and Juventus keeper, is delighted that David De Gea has kept his ‘hunger’ after leaving Manchester United two years ago.
The former Austria international spoke about De Gea’s impressive performances for Fiorentina with RadioFirenzeViola.
“He’s an experienced keeper. He took a sabbatical, and it worked well,” said the 47-year-old, as quoted by TMW.
“He still has the hunger, which is essential to a goalkeeper. You must have a great keeper to be up there in the table.
“You can tell he comes from the Spanish school. He’s very prepared technically. Spanish coaches work well with keepers and you can see his technique in every intervention.”
Manninger notes Fiorentina star De Gea kept one thing after Man Utd exit
De Gea has kept four clean sheets in eight Serie A games with Fiorentina helping the Tuscans win five consecutive matches. La Viola occupy a Champions League placement, level on 22 points with Lazio and Atalanta.
“Fiorentina deserve this position for their job, including the directors,” argued Manninger.
“They’ve sold some key players, but they have made good investments, and I think they can aim for something important in Italy and Europe. They can finish in the top five in Serie A. The group and the coach have made the difference. They didn’t sign big players last summer, but they all give their best.”
De Gea left Manchester United at the end of his contract in 2022 but didn’t play for any team in the 2022-23 campaign. During his unveiling press conference at Fiorentina in August, he explained that he didn’t feel ready to join a new club after several years at Old Trafford.
The 33-year-old was the best-performing Serie A player in the opening ten rounds.
Their next league fixture is against Hellas Verona at the Stadio Franchi.