Career Timeline of David de Gea: Major Achievements and Milestones
How David de Gea built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
David de Gea is a Spanish professional footballer renowned for his goalkeeping abilities. He currently plays for Serie A club Fiorentina. De Gea is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers of his generation, known for his exceptional reflexes, agility, and shot-stopping skills. His career has been marked by high-profile performances, establishing him as a top player in his position.
2007: Spain Under-17 Success
In 2007, David de Gea played a key role in Spain's under-17 team, contributing to their victory in the European Championship and their second-place finish in the World Cup.
2008: Signs First Professional Contract with Atlético Madrid
In 2008, at the age of 17, De Gea signed his first professional contract with Atlético Madrid, committing him to the club until 2011.
September 2009: Atlético First-Team Debut
In September 2009, De Gea made his debut for the Atlético first-team at 18 years old, in a UEFA Champions League match against Porto after an injury to Roberto.
2009: Starting Goalkeeper for Atlético Madrid
In 2009, De Gea finished the season as the starting goalkeeper for Atlético Madrid and appeared in eight matches in the club's victorious UEFA Europa League campaign.
2009: Senior Debut with Atlético Madrid
In 2009, at the age of 18, David de Gea made his senior debut with Atlético Madrid, marking the beginning of his professional career.
2009: Loan Move Approaches Rejected
In the summer of 2009, De Gea rejected loan move approaches from Numancia and Queens Park Rangers, and was briefly punished for it.
January 2010: Linked to Manchester United and New Contract
In January 2010, De Gea was linked to Manchester United as a replacement for Edwin van der Sar, but he signed a new contract with Atlético until 2013.
2010: UEFA Europa League and UEFA Super Cup Wins
In 2010, De Gea helped Atlético Madrid win the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup, establishing himself as the team's first-choice goalkeeper.
2010: UEFA Super Cup Victory and Manchester United Interest
In 2010, De Gea kept a clean sheet in the UEFA Super Cup victory against Inter Milan. Manchester United's interest in him was also reported.
2010: Speculation Regarding Manchester United Move
Throughout the 2010 season, there was widespread speculation about De Gea's potential move to Manchester United as a replacement for their retiring goalkeeper, Edwin van der Sar.
September 2011: Continued Improvement and Key Saves
In September 2011, De Gea made key saves in matches against Chelsea, Stoke City, and Basel, earning praise from teammates and contributing to United's performance.
October 2011: Manchester United's heaviest Premier League defeat since the 6–1 loss against Manchester City
In October 2011, De Gea was part of the Manchester United team which lost 4–0 to Chelsea, their heaviest Premier League defeat since the 6–1 loss against Manchester City.
2011: Joined Manchester United
In 2011, David de Gea joined Manchester United.
2011: European Championship win with Spain U-21
In 2011, De Gea captained the Spain under-21 national team to victory in the European Championship.
2011: Possible Replacement for Edwin van der Sar
In 2011, De Gea was considered a possible replacement for Edwin van der Sar.
2011: Contracted to Atlético Madrid until 2011
In 2011, De Gea was contracted to Atlético Madrid until this year.
February 2012: Turning Point with Save Against Chelsea
In February 2012, De Gea cited his last-minute save from Juan Mata against Chelsea as a turning point in his season, leading to a strong run of performances.
2012: Competed in the Summer Olympics
In 2012, De Gea competed in the Summer Olympics as part of the Spain national team.
2012: Return to Starting Line-Up and Mixed Performances
In 2012, De Gea returned to Manchester United's starting line-up after the Olympics, delivering some outstanding saves but also experiencing misunderstandings that led to goals.
February 2013: Strong Performance Against Real Madrid
In February 2013, De Gea made several saves against Real Madrid, earning praise from Sir Alex Ferguson and transforming his reputation.
October 2013: Outstanding Save Against Sunderland
In October 2013, De Gea made an outstanding save against Sunderland, described as one of the best ever seen in the Premier League.
2013: UEFA Under-21 Championship Retained
In 2013, David de Gea helped the Spain under-21 team retain their European title, earning a place in the Squad of the Tournament for the second time.
2013: Contract until 2013
In 2013, De Gea stated he would be an Atletico player until this year.
2013: Second European Championship win with Spain U-21
In 2013, De Gea was part of the Spain under-21 national team that won the European Championship for the second time.
January 2014: 100th Appearance for Manchester United and League Cup Semi-Final
In January 2014, De Gea made his 100th appearance for Manchester United and was deemed at fault in the League Cup semi-final second leg against Sunderland.
May 2014: Selection for 2014 World Cup
On 13 May 2014, David de Gea was selected in Spain's 30-man provisional squad for the 2014 World Cup, later making the final squad, although he did not play in any matches during the tournament.
October 2014: Named Manchester United's Player of the Month
In October 2014, after vital stops against Everton, West Brom, and Chelsea, David de Gea was named Manchester United's Player of the Month.
2014: Senior Debut for Spain
In 2014, De Gea made his debut for the senior Spain national team and was selected for that year's World Cup.
April 2015: Named in PFA Team of the Year
On April 26, 2015, David de Gea was named in the PFA Team of the Year as its goalkeeper and also won both Fans' Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year awards for the second consecutive season.
August 2015: Transfer to Real Madrid Collapses
In August 2015, a transfer agreement between Manchester United and Real Madrid for David de Gea collapsed due to paperwork issues before the transfer window closed.
November 2015: Won BBC Match of the Day Save of the Season
In November 2015, David de Gea won BBC Match of the Day Save of the Season for his save against Watford on November 21, 2015.
April 2016: Named in PFA Team of the Year
In April 2016, David de Gea was the sole Manchester United player named in the PFA Team of the Year.
May 2016: Won Manchester United's Player of the Year
In May 2016, David de Gea became the first player ever to win Manchester United's Player of the Year for a third consecutive season and also won BBC Match of the Day Save of the Season.
2016: Saved Penalty Against Everton
In the 2016 FA Cup tie against Everton, David de Gea saved a penalty.
February 2017: Won first EFL Cup title
On February 26, 2017, David de Gea won his first EFL Cup title after a 3–2 victory over Southampton in the final.
April 2017: Selected in PFA Team of the Year
On April 20, 2017, David de Gea was selected as a goalkeeper in the PFA Team of the Year for the fourth time in his career.
September 2017: Achieved 100th clean sheet for Manchester United
On September 17, 2017, David de Gea achieved his 100th overall clean sheet for Manchester United in a match against Everton.
December 2017: Equalled Premier League record for saves in a single game
On December 2, 2017, David de Gea recorded 14 saves in a 3-1 win over Arsenal, equalling the Premier League record for the greatest number of saves in a single game.
2017: Won the Premier League Golden Glove
In 2017–18 season, De Gea won the Premier League Golden Glove.
April 2018: Selected in PFA Team of the Year
On April 18, 2018, David de Gea was selected as a goalkeeper in the PFA Team of the Year for the fifth time as the only Manchester United player.
May 2018: Secured Premier League Golden Glove
On May 11, 2018, David de Gea secured his first Premier League Golden Glove since he joined Manchester United.
2018: Began 2018-2019 Season
David de Gea started the 2018-19 season with 5 clean sheets in his first 25 appearances.
2018: Played in FIFA World Cup 2018
In 2018, De Gea was selected for the FIFA World Cup, but received criticism for his performance.
January 2019: Made 11 saves against Tottenham Hotspur
On January 13, 2019, David de Gea made 11 saves in a 1–0 win over Tottenham Hotspur.
July 2019: Offered a new contract by Manchester United
On July 3, 2019, David de Gea was offered a new contract with Manchester United, ahead of the 2019-20 season, with negotiations ongoing by July 15, 2019.
August 2019: Started against Chelsea
On August 11, 2019, David de Gea started in Manchester United's opening Premier League match against Chelsea.
September 2019: Signed new contract with Manchester United
On September 16, 2019, Manchester United confirmed that David de Gea had signed a four-year contract renewal, keeping him at the club until at least June 2023.
October 2019: Played in North-West derby despite injury
In October 2019, David de Gea played in the North-West derby despite an injury sustained in a game for Spain.
July 2020: Equalled and Surpassed Clean Sheet Records
In July 2020, David de Gea reached several milestones including becoming the most capped non-British or Irish player for United and surpassing Peter Schmeichel's record for clean sheets.
December 2020: Missed Match Against West Ham United
On December 5, 2020, David de Gea missed the match against West Ham United due to an injury.
2020: Lost Regular Place in Euro 2020
In 2020, De Gea lost his regular place to Unai Simón for Euro 2020.
February 2021: Clean sheet in 9-0 win against Southampton
On February 2, 2021, David de Gea played the full 90 minutes and kept a clean sheet in Manchester United's Premier League record-equalling 9–0 home win against Southampton.
October 2022: Played 500th match for Manchester United
On October 16, 2022, David de Gea played his 500th match for Manchester United in all competitions, in a draw against Newcastle United.
February 2023: Played 400th Premier League match for Manchester United
On February 12, 2023, David de Gea played his 400th Premier League match for Manchester United.
June 2023: Contract Renewal
In September 2019, Manchester United confirmed that De Gea had signed a four-year contract renewal, keeping him at the club until at least June 2023.
July 2023: Departure from Manchester United Confirmed
In July 2023, David de Gea's departure from Manchester United was confirmed, leaving as their seventh all-time appearance maker.
2023: Leaves Manchester United
In 2023, De Gea's contract with Manchester United expired, leading to his departure from the club.
2023: Spent The Entirety Of the Season as a Free Agent
In the 2023–24 season, De Gea spent the entirety of the season as a free agent.
August 2024: Signed for Fiorentina
On August 9, 2024, David de Gea signed for Serie A club Fiorentina, and on August 22, he made his debut for the club.
Mentioned in this timeline
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