Man United made a mistake letting him go — Ex-striker fault Red Devils for letting 'club legend' leave

Former Manchester United striker Giuseppe Rossi has said that Manchester United made a major mistake pushing out David de Gea from the club.

The 39-year-old who came through the ranks at Carrington. While his time at Manchester United did not overlap with De Gea (35), Rossi was allowed to train at the club in 2019, during which he developed greater appreciation for the Spaniard.

De Gea joined the club in 2011 under Sir Alex Ferguson and left the club in 2023. He had a successful spell at the club in his prime years, winning four Player of the Season awards. 

However, his performance level waned towards the end; in addition to criticisms against his poor distribution, he was pushed out and replaced with André Onana, a move which ultimately failed as Onana struggled to match the Spaniard’s shot-stopping impact.

“Yeah, I think so. I went back to train with Manchester United when I was 33, 34, and David was there and that was the year, I think, that he left. After that season, he left,” he said, per Goal.

“I mean, the guy was still phenomenal. The guy was still shot-stopping everything possible. He is a legend there at Manchester United. He was also a leader in the changing room. I saw that in those two months that I was there. So, yeah, I think it was a mistake. I think they should have kept him.”

Manchester United seem to now have stability between the sticks with the arrival of Senne Lammens in the summer. Rossi believes he is a good goalkeeper and lauded his performances so far.

“But, you know, if you're going to make a decision like that, then you need to find the right replacement. You need to find the right people to substitute him,” he said.

“Did they do so? Probably not. But they found a very, very good keeper now, a young keeper that is doing phenomenal. So, I think they're on the right path.”