🎥 De Gea to Cronache: Fiorentina, his future and Dzeko, he reveals all

David De Gea gave a long interview to 'Locker Room Chronicles... The Spanish champion has been one of the best players in the league, especially in the first part of the season when he seemed unbeatable.

Juan Mata is the teammate with whom you have shared the most matches in your career: he said that your champion trait is this way of playing with calmness that almost makes you seem reckless.

I talk to Juan almost every day, he is a very dear friend of mine. I feel very calm, but I think it's a state of mind that I try to convey, for example when I lead the defense. But I always try to have personality on the field.

You have played in many locker rooms with very important players: are you struggling with this generational change?

When I arrived in England, I was very young. I didn't talk to anyone. I've seen two eras: the relationship between players is the aspect that has changed the most in football. It's something... that weighs on me quite a bit. When I was a kid, I would enter the locker room and first of all greet: if someone spoke to me, I would respond, otherwise I would stay quiet and listen to the older ones, without disturbing. Now it's all different: the kids practically don't even greet you. There is no longer the respect of before, I think it has been lost and it's another world, totally different. In recent years, even in Spain, I have felt out of place. I often talk about it with Mata and Herrera: we are from another generation. It weighs heavily on me to see young guys who haven't done anything in football yet feel like they've already done everything after one game. I struggle to understand this mentality.

Do you think it's easier to feel like a player today?

Before it was much more difficult. Indeed, it was almost impossible to find continuity at 17 years old. This generational change weighs on me. When I arrived in England, I was very young and also shy: now I have much more experience and at Fiorentina, practically everyone is younger than me. So I try to talk to everyone and help them in what I can, I want to be an example on and off the field. I would like to be a model for those who see me as a veteran.

Was it difficult to continue feeling like a player during your "sabbatical year"? Because during that period, I heard, you refused offers from Saudi Arabia and also from England: in this case, for the love of Manchester United. So you could have jumped back into the race immediately... why did you choose to stop?

I lived between Madrid and Manchester. When I felt like I wanted to start training again to get back in shape, I started looking for a goalkeeping coach to help me and was recommended Craig Ellison and from the first training session, our relationship immediately took shape.

I talked to him, he told me he had to convince you when it rained...

Yes! There was a beautiful connection, a phenomenon as a person and as a coach, I care a lot about him. A friendship was born. He helped me in that moment of pause: I trained a lot and we spent a lot of time together. Many chats with an exceptional guy. During this year of pause, which was particular for me since I had been playing at high levels for 15 years, I trained at the Spanish National team's federal center and on a fifth division field in England. I think this year of rest did me a lot of good mentally and physically: I was a bit saturated. After all, spending 13 years in Manchester is not easy... I felt it was time to stop for a moment. It was a beautiful year that I spent with my family: I saw them more than I had since I became a professional. And in addition, I met people like Craig who helped me along the way. I trained hard and from the beginning at Fiorentina, I was rewarded. I felt I could still compete at a very high level.

It's an interesting analysis and certainly a courageous choice.

One of the best years of my life. I refused offers from England because after spending so many years at a club like United, you have the feeling of not wanting to play for another club in England. I only wanted Manchester United and if it's true that I received offers from England, I knew that for my heart it would have been impossible to play elsewhere. I spent my whole life there, it's the club that shaped me and allowed me to have a beautiful career. I felt it was time to rest and come back even stronger. People asked me: 'But when are you coming back?'. I reassured everyone: 'I'm fine, I'm coming back now'. It was normal for people to have some doubts after a year off, but I was sure that after one or two games I would be back as before.

We saw it right away last season, indeed.

I settled in quickly in Florence. From the first moment, I felt at home, especially in this sports center (Viola Park, ed.) which is incredible, as well as with the people. It was all easy: I was talking the other day with some teammates that it's very difficult to find facilities like this. There are two, three, or four in Europe. It's impressive. There's everything, it's crazy.

Now you also find Edin Džeko again, maybe you'll talk about that 2012 Premier League, when City took it from you at the last second with one of the most beautiful comebacks ever against QPR.

He already mentioned it to me on the first day of training camp... and reminded me that the first goal I conceded after signing with Manchester United was scored by him in the Community Shield, the English super cup. I reminded him, however, that in the end, we won that match and the trophy! But that afternoon when we lost the Premier League, I struggle to forget: I was really young, last match of the season, we had come back 7 points on City to then surpass them. We arrived at the last day with them having caught up with us. We were playing away against Sunderland, they were at home with QPR. I remember our fans cheering at QPR's goals while we were winning 0-1. When ours ended, I thought: 'Okay, it's done, we're champions'. Then they scored the equalizer and murmurs started in the stands, and Kun Agüero at the last moment completed the comeback and they won 3-2. It was a moment of shock. In the locker room, people were devastated, angry. Losing a championship like that is something I wouldn't wish on anyone. But we made up for it the following year: Ferguson brought in van Persie, who had an incredible season, and we won the championship.

That painful goal was scored by Agüero, who is also one of your best friends. How did you manage to cultivate this friendship despite the strong rivalry and pressures?

Friendship is more important than any rivalry. We shared a room at Atlético and moved to England at the same time: him to City, me to United. In Manchester, we were neighbors, I understand that for people it was strange to see us together despite playing for two opposing teams, but it's normal. We are very close, we had many dinners in Manchester, many barbecues. We really enjoyed playing PlayStation together.

I've been told you really like playing.

Yes, a lot. Especially Rainbow Six, but when I'm with friends, we play some matches on FC: we press square to get two random teams and face each other, at least no one could complain.

You like it so much that you even have an eSports team, why did you choose to invest in this sector?

It's called Rebels Gaming and I love it. A few years ago, I was proposed to invest in an eSports club, so I talked to the people close to me and said: 'Why don't we create our own?'. We started structuring it little by little, and now we have grown a lot: we have achieved good results. Every week we have video calls and work at full speed. I like being a protagonist if I start a journey. I follow our gamers' matches: we focus on various video games, including FC, Street Fighter, and Counter-Strike.

Another passion you have is music: rock or heavy metal.

It's not the music of now, or rather, maybe it's not that of the young. I really like Avenged Sevenfold, Slipknot, System of a Down. That kind of music. I tried to play it in the locker rooms, but it's complicated, I didn't have support. In the end, reggaeton is very popular there and it's okay, it's not my genre but it's good for getting pumped up.

Without forgetting Japan.

When I shared the locker room with Shinji Kagawa, we had a nice friendship. I'm attracted to anime and that world: definitely Naruto and Dragon Ball above all, now I'm watching Solo Leveling. I've been attracted to Japan since I was a child.

We talked about Manchester, I can't not mention Sir Alex Ferguson. I'll give you a statistic: he missed two matches in his career, one for his son's wedding and the other to see you play live and buy you. He couldn't make a mistake with Van der Sar's heir...

I had read this statistic! It's curious, just to see me play. Imagine. That's why I think he was a father to everyone, although he was very demanding. But his presence was incredible, as were his anger fits at halftime when the team wasn't doing well. He would come in and get angry. I still talk to him today. I believe that if he's not the best coach in history, he's one of the best without a doubt.

Do you have an anecdote with him?

I remember a speech before a match. We were in a difficult moment of the season, but in the locker room, he took me as an example, saying: 'Look at David, he came as a kid and is already number one', in front of everyone. There were Ferdinand, Rooney, and all the United big names. It was a spectacular injection of confidence.

And what about that time you were accused... of stealing in a supermarket?

What a story! I was accused of stealing donuts. That day Ferguson had set training. As I was going to the sports center, this news appeared in the newspapers with my photo. And then also on television. I was speechless: they accused me of stealing... donuts in a Manchester market! In England, it's like that, it seemed like the end of the world. Everyone was talking about it, for a donut. Clearly, it wasn't true, they even apologized to me. But to make you understand what a father Sir Alex Ferguson was: that day he entered the locker room in silence, serious, and pulled out a box of donuts and put it on the table. 'Take it, David,' he said to me. We all burst out laughing. A simple gesture that reaches the team.

Another important figure was Eric Steele, your goalkeeping coach.

Yes, absolutely. The coach for a goalkeeper is the most important and also the closest figure, since he has often been a goalkeeper and can understand you. He worked a lot with me, especially when I arrived because I was slender, I still am now but even more so back then, so we worked a lot physically, he always sent me to the gym. We had some back and forth, but the results came.

You arrived at United growing up at Atlético, but it wasn't easy for you. Indeed, at one point you were relegated "as punishment" to the third goalkeeper of the reserve team.

I was 18 years old and there were several teams that wanted me on loan: Numancia, Las Palmas, if I remember correctly also Wigan. But I wanted to stay at Atlético and debut with that team. They told me: 'If you don't go on loan, you'll be the third goalkeeper of the reserve team'. Then the first team's coach defended me and said: 'You are one of ours'. I started as the third goalkeeper, I had Sergio Asenjo ahead of me who was a promise and had just been bought, and Roberto. Asenjo got injured with Spain U20, the second also got injured after a few matches and so, ironically, I really found space despite being the third choice! I did well, then Asenjo returned and they put him back as the starter. But he didn't do well and I returned: from that moment I never left. It was really a miracle, I was supposed to stay just to train in theory...

By the way: I saw a photo of you during your early school years, you didn't play as a goalkeeper...

I was the top scorer of my school, we played futsal because we were small. In that team, there were also my two best friends until today, Javier and Felix. I liked playing in attack because at that age you concede a lot of goals and I was weighed down by the looks of the parents in the stands who always blamed the goalkeeper. But I was destined to be a goalkeeper.

Because of your father?

Yes, exactly. My father was a goalkeeper and he wanted me to play that role. At the moment of choosing... I didn't have many options! He influenced me, of course, but he gave me a great hand to train in the backyard. During the matches, even if there was no one in the stands, you would always find him behind my goal, alone, whether it rained or the sun shone.

And then you reached high levels, despite a vision problem.

At school, the teacher noticed that I had problems seeing the blackboard. I was missing diopters and got glasses. Then contact lenses to play. They bothered me because they dried my eyes during matches and I suffered a lot. A few years ago I had laser surgery, a marvel. But as a kid, it bothered me, I had special lenses made to measure for going on the field, softer, but still bothersome. However, I trained without lenses... I trained the reflex! And then I had an excuse if I conceded a goal: 'You know, I can't see!'.

To think you could have become Real Madrid's goalkeeper. Actually, you became one in 2015, but everything fell through due to a delay in the contract submission. Did you even have the medicals?

At the end of my career, I will talk about what happened that day. In the end, it didn't happen and I believe that when certain things happen, there is a reason: I stayed in Manchester and was very happy. It's my home and I think it went well like that. Courtois went there, who found space at Atlético precisely thanks to my departure. He did very well and I'm happy for him.

You could have played with Cristiano Ronaldo earlier, but you found him anyway in Manchester.

It made me smile that someone didn't understand the comment I left him under the post about renewing with Al-Nassr. Cristiano is a beast, but I know I'm telling you things you've already heard, because it's not normal. He's 40 years old, continues to score and win titles. A competition beast. The way he takes care of himself is sensational. There are one or two in history like him. You can do well for one or two years, but do it for 20 years that way.

In Manchester, you shared the locker room with Pogba. Are you happy he's back on track?

I wrote to him: 'Come on, come to Fiorentina!'. I hope he gets back to playing well, he's very strong. Physically among the best I've seen. I was sorry for what happened to him, I hope he returns to being the complete and strong player we've all seen, he's a good guy. Always cheerful, always dancing.

I asked you about Cristiano, I have to ask you about Messi.

Once I gave Messi a very strong shoulder thinking of making him fly three meters away. I was playing for Atlético Madrid, I was very young. I thought of making him feel my presence and sending him a strong signal. I blocked a ball in the area near him and before clearing it, I went up to him to give him a very strong shoulder. I hit him very hard with body, shoulder, and ball. I swear to you: I didn't move him a centimeter. He was made of marble! I assure you the hit was strong, but he didn't move. Another example that he, like Cristiano, has always taken care of everything in his career: a life thinking about performance. Messi is small, but he has an incredible physique. And you build it also with mentality. That's why I want to see in a few years how many will manage to reach their levels. But not for one or two seasons... for twenty years!

In the National team, you had Busquets.

A spectacular guy with a wonderful family. Do you know how strong he is on the field? Well, translate that into normal life too. He revolutionized the role, the number 5 after him has never been the same. A calmness and tranquility with the ball... he repeated to me to give him the ball even if I saw him with an opponent on his neck. Impressive.

Another who changed a role is Neuer.

I played against him, a great, an example of consistency year after year, even now after injuries. Players who have been there for a lifetime fighting at high levels: if they weren't special, they wouldn't be there. They work and do things well.

Incredible players like Rooney?

A supernatural striker. He is talked about little. He could have played more, he was a beast. He trained like an animal and in the match, he was the same. He got angry and dragged the team. A true Englishman, authentic.

Your relationship with Kean, instead, what is it like?

Very good. When I arrived, my Italian was terrible and we spoke in English. Now I have improved and communicate with him more easily. He had a great season, but now for me, he has to have another good year, and then another one and so on. One good year is not enough, he has to continue like this and give continuity to what he has done. He has put up very good numbers, but he has to continue like this and prove he can do it over time.

In Florence, you get along very well with your young role mates. You even went out to dinner together!

They are wonderful guys. They want to learn, they observe you, they always try to improve. They are really good. And when I see good people who want to learn, I like to help and do everything possible so that they improve and feel good. Before the match against Lask in the Conference League, I told Martinelli that if he kept a clean sheet, I would take them all out to dinner. Tommy succeeded and a week later we all went out together and I treated them. They had seafood, but I don't like it much.

How do you get along with mister Pioli? What does Fiorentina need to do now to raise the level?

As the mister says, we need to work and do it well. He has a clear style of play, we have to follow it all together and improve. I've talked to him several times and I've felt his energy. We can have a great season.

Would you like to return to the National team? Is it still a dream you have?

It's not something that keeps me up at night. I've played enough for Spain, I've been in the National team for many years and I have beautiful memories. I do my best, if the coach at some point wants to call me, I'm here. But I live it calmly, it's not something that kills me. I've lived my period there, playing two World Cups and two European Championships. I did the best I could. Now in my head, there's only Fiorentina: we want to have a good year.

Would you have liked to stay in Manchester, instead?

The fans still write to me. I spent many years there, it's my home: I would have stayed all my life. But football is like that: things happen that you don't expect. Like the opportunity to come here to Florence.

You received many offers but chose to stay in Florence this year, renewing until 2028.

It was an important choice. It will be one of my last contracts. I've been telling my family for a long time: 'I want to stay here'. I feel good, the club made an effort to keep me and I thank them. I like everything here: Fiorentina, the people, the fans. It's like a family. And the sports center is fantastic. I'm very happy.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.

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