David de Gea would leave Manchester United with special legacy

David de Gea was the first player to emerge from the dressing room after Manchester United's draw against Newcastle in October.

A delighted De Gea spoke to MUTV after the final whistle and he couldn't wipe the smile from his face as he attempted to put into words what making his 500th appearance for the club meant, an achievement which took over 11 years to reach.

De Gea had just become only the 11th player in the history of United to reach the milestone and said: "I think it's something crazy. To play 500 games for this club is very special for me, of course, but probably I will realise more when I stop playing football.

"When I retire and then look back and say 'OK, I played more than 500 games for a massive club like United'. I'm super proud and it's amazing, to be honest. Just to be part of this club is massive and it's so difficult to get here, so it’s a dream to be here."

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De Gea certainly earned a glass of wine that night, joining the likes of Denis Irwin, Wayne Rooney, Gary Neville, Sir Bobby Charlton Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs among the list of players who have made 500 appearances for the club.

When the Spaniard arrived in Manchester from Atletico Madrid for £18.9million in 2011, many believed he did not have the attributes to succeed in the Premier League and yet, that fee has proven to be superb value for money.

De Gea has been an excellent servant to Manchester United and he was the best goalkeeper in the world for at least three years, something which only a few people, regardless of their profession or industry, can say sincerely.

The elephant in the room is every good thing must eventually come to an end and that's now the case with De Gea,