David de Gea showed new quality vs Everton that could secure his Manchester United future

You'd be forgiven for not believing your eyes with David de Gea regularly leaving his Manchester United box on Sunday night.

It's said that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but De Gea is just 31 years old and desperate to stay at Old Trafford with his contract expiring at the end of the season, which means he's now trying to adapt to earn a contract extension.

United have the option of triggering another year on De Gea's current deal and the Manchester Evening News revealed last month that United are expected to trigger one-year options in five players' contracts at the club before the end of the January window.

ALSO READ: United players' reaction to Everton win is what Ten Hag wanted

De Gea is on that list, along with Diogo Dalot, Luke Shaw, Fred and Marcus Rashford, but extending the Spaniard's contract would be the most dubious call from those five players, with genuine doubts over his ability to play exactly how Erik ten Hag wants.

While it would be nonsensical for the club not to exercise the option of extending the contracts of Dalot, Shaw, Fred and Rashford, there is an argument that now is the time for De Gea to leave the club after over 11 years of service at Old Trafford.

Ten Hag wants his goalkeeper to play proactively and that message has even trickled down to the academy. Although the first-team is supposed to lead by example, De Gea has never been a proactive goalkeeper and he is not comfortable with the ball at his feet.

That is not a good look, but to his credit, you wouldn't have thought that was true at Goodison Park at the weekend, as De Gea was surprisingly proactive in between the sticks and his starting position around his box was notably higher than usual. He also produced an excellent,