Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho feels David de Gea’s three Player of the Year awards on the trot were not a good sign for the club.

Since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure at the end of the 2012/13 season, Manchester United have struggled to emerge from the shadows of the Scot and have only qualified for the Champions League once in the prior three seasons.




De Gea has been the standout player for Manchester United over the last few years, often making the difference with his outstanding saves and has bagged the last three Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year awards at Old Trafford.

Mourinho admits that the Spaniard is an incredible goalkeeper and deserves all the accolades, even acknowledging his contribution in his side’s win over West Ham earlier in the week.
 


But the Manchester United manager feels the goalkeeper being the best player on the pitch for the Red Devils is not a healthy sign for the club of their stature.  

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Mourinho said in a press conference: “I think when a goalkeeper is Player of the Season it’s because something is wrong.

“Of course I would like goalkeepers to be recognised and win the Golden Ball, because goalkeepers are lonely guys with a different shirt, they get forgotten but in the last game I hugged David because no save, [Michail] Antonio goal, no three points.

“But the reality is when season after season the goalkeeper is player of the season something is wrong, hopefully he keeps doing important saves for us.”

De Gea has made 256 appearances for Manchester United since joining the club from Atletico Madrid in 2011 and has kept 88 clean sheets.

He came close to joining Real Madrid in 2015, but ended up staying put.