'The culture needed to change' - David de Gea on why Erik ten Hag is the right manager for Manchester United

The television screen welcomes a Mr Coombes. Only there are 10 men crammed into a chic if compact space in a room in the Ritz Carlton's 11th floor.

It is one of the more unusual settings for David de Gea to attend an interview. He walks in and is greeted by a scene worthy of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. Or a rejected remake of The Hangover.

"A bit tight," De Gea laughs as he shuffles past, pressing the flesh. We have placed a cushioned stool at the front for De Gea to hold court. Four of us are sat on furniture, three are standing and a couple are leaning on the bed, though it is hardly pillow talk.

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Freshly showered, sporting a white hoodie, black tracksuit bottoms and box-fresh white trainers, De Gea's tousled quiff is gelled after a sodden morning training session at the WACA.

De Gea passed us in the corridor of AAMI Park in Melbourne on Monday and quipped "like Manchester, eh?" referring to the flurry of rain. As he glances out the window at the vista of Perth, it is torrential. "Good rain, eh?"

The days when United would fret over the weather curtailing their goalkeeper's career at the club are long gone. It was in Perth three years ago it emerged De Gea had verbally agreed a new contract, confirmed two months later, and now he is into the last two years of his deal it is difficult to envisage him playing elsewhere.

De Gea, signed by Sir Alex Ferguson for £18.9million in 2011, is 13 appearances shy of his 500th for United and 43 off from surpassing Alex Stepney as the all-time record appearance holder for a United goalkeeper.

That is probable this season, with six Europa League group games on top of 38 Premier League fixtures. United plan on recruiting a back-up