David De Gea wants to wear the Manchester United captain’s armband next season further emphasising his commitment to stay at the club.
The goalkeeper is set to sign a new six-year deal at Old Trafford worth £375,000 a week to end any doubts about his future. And the Spaniard says leading the team would now be an extra special honour with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still to decide on his permanent captain for next season.
De Gea said: “I’ve been captain for some games. Of course it is amazing to be captain of a club like Manchester United and defend this badge. It’s amazing, so of course I’ll be really, really happy to captain. It’s my ninth season and I feel like one of the most experienced players. I need to show that on the pitch and try to help the young guys know what Manchester United means and that’s important.”
United used to mean silverware and titles but that has stopped of late with nothing to show for the last two seasons. De Gea says it is time for them to get back to winning ways.
He said: “We have to improve a lot. We are Manchester United, we need to fight for trophies. When you put on this badge, that’s what it means – fight for everything, give your best and bring the team again to the top.”
De Gea says the work being done on this pre-season tour should stand them in good stead to hit the ground running in their first game of the season at home to Chelsea. He said: “I think this pre-season we’re trying to have more of the ball, to keep the ball, to build from the back, to keep control of the game – things we didn’t have last season. We are working really hard this pre-season, and hopefully we can show it in the first against Chelsea that we have improved a lot from last season.”
Ashley Young wore the armband last season but Solskjaer said earlier in United’s pre-season tour that he still has an open mind on who will do so for this coming campaign. He said that even wantaway record buy Paul Pogba was under consideration. De Gea finally decided to commit himself to United by agreeing to a new contract after seven months of negotiations. He had only a year left on his current deal. The new £117million contract is for five years with the option of one further year and will be signed when De Gea returns from the club’s tour of Australia and the Far East.
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