Friday, 15th February, 2013
Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has backed the club’s goalkeeper David de Gea and insisted his performance in the pressure cooker atmosphere of the Bernabeu on Wednesday night showed his quality.
De Gea made several good saves against Real Madrid, keeping the score at 1-1 which gives his side a fine chance of progressing in the Champions League with the second leg at Old Trafford.
There had been question marks over De Gea going into the vital clash, with several high-profile blunders having been made by the Spaniard in the Premier League this season and continuing debate over his spot between the sticks for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men.
But Carrick feels De Gea answered his critics in style at the Bernabeu. And the midfielder thinks that the former Atletico Madrid man will only improve.
"David’s performance just showed what he is all about", Carrick was quoted as saying by his club’s official site.
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"There is no bigger pressure cooker really than this stage of the Champions League and coming to a place like this.
"Coming back home [to Spain] as well, there was an extra spotlight on him. Some of his saves kept us in the game at times.
"It is never nice when people question you but that is natural at a club like this. You are always getting questioned and criticised.
"That is just how it is. You have to deal with it.
"He is a top keeper and he is only going to get better. To play at this club at such a young age and have so much on your shoulders and to then produce a performance like that just showed what he is all about."
De Gea will find no let up in the pressure of life at Old Trafford though, with the crucial second leg against Real Madrid looming, while the club have an FA Cup clash with Reading coming on Monday evening.
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