David De Gea says there are no hard feelings over his Manchester United exit but admitted after his emotional Old Trafford return that he did contemplate retirement before joining Fiorentina.
The 34-year-old’s name echoed around the ground he called home for 12 years after captain Bruno Fernandes led a special presentation ahead of Saturday’s friendly against the Serie A side.
De Gea joined Fiorentina last August after a spending a year without a club following his Old Trafford exit after United’s FA Cup final loss to Manchester City.
That was the last of 545 matches he played for the club, putting him in seventh place in their list of all-time appearance makers, and fans gave him a standing ovation when he was replaced towards the end of 1-1 draw on Saturday.
“It was great,” De Gea said. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been back here, so it’s been a special day.
“Seeing old friends, people that I’ve been with for a lot of time. I have a lot of love from them, so very special. Coming to Old Trafford, to the pitch with nearly a full stadium was amazing.”
De Gea saw Sir Alex Ferguson, whoM he still refers to as “the boss”, on the eve of a game that allowed him to say a proper farewell to United fans.
“Sometimes it’s difficult to describe with the words how you feel on the pitch, seeing the crowd, the players, everybody there,” he said.
“It was emotional for me, so it’s a game that I’ll never forget for sure.”
Asked if he had any disappointment about the way his exit unfolded in 2023, De Gea said: “No, sometimes football is like it is. You cannot control everything.
“I’ve been here 12 years, very, very nice. It’s one of the best periods of my life.
“Playing for this club is just unbelievable. Especially when you leave the
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