'Struggling for a negative' — Inside Manchester United's transfer for Martin Dubravka and his intensity in training

Simon Smith left his position as head of goalkeeping at Newcastle United this summer after spending seven years at the club.

Smith had worked with Steve McClaren, Rafael Benitez, Steve Bruce and current manager Eddie Howe, while he had also served under Ruud Gullit and Sir Bobby Robson between 1999 and 2005 during his first stint coaching with the North East side.

After departing from Newcastle this summer, it took just a few weeks for Smith to be asked for his opinion on a former player. Smith was relaxing at home in North Shields when he received a phone call from Manchester United's goalkeeping coach Richard Hartis.

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Smith, speaking to the Manchester Evening News, described Hartis as 'a very good friend and colleague', but this phone call was not an inconsequential conversation. Hartis was on the phone with Smith to ask questions about Martin Dubravka.

"He said, 'what can you tell me about Martin Dubravka' and I was struggling to find a negative," Smith explained. "One of the questions I was asked was whether he was going to be ok playing in front of the Stretford End. I said it won’t be any trouble for him."

This was not the first occasion that United had expressed interest in Dubravka — who they have admired for some time. It's understood United had tracked Dubravka for more than two years and they tried to sign him on loan last January.

Howe privately had doubts about Dubravka and that led Newcastle to express an interest in signing Dean Henderson on loan in January. United were prepared to accept Dubravka in exchange on loan for Henderson, but the Slovakian rejected the move.

He was still first-choice at Newcastle at that stage and it