Brad Friedel: David de Gea deserves more credit for Manchester United performances

Brad Friedel has jumped to the defence of Spaniard David de Gea, claiming that he deserves "more credit" for his efforts this season.

The two goalkeepers will be at opposite ends of the White Hart Lane pitch on Sunday when Tottenham host Manchester United, whom De Gea joined as an 18 million pound summer signing from Atletico Madrid in the summer. He struggled to settle at Old Trafford with a catalog of errors marring his early days with the club.

However, in recent weeks his performances have greatly improved and Friedel has been impressed by the turnaround.

The Spurs keeper told the Sunday Mirror: “People need to start ­giving him a little bit more credit. It’s not easy being 21 years old with an 18m pound price tag on your head, making a mistake or two and trying to replace ­Edwin van der Sar."

The experienced 40-year-old appreciates the situation De Gea finds himself in but explained how goalkeeping gets easier with time.

“The hardest thing for a young goalkeeper is that when you make a mistake you feel like the world is caving in on you,” he said. “We know the outfield players are working so hard during the game and you feel terrible when you make a mistake.

“But the older you get, the easier it becomes to deal with. What I have liked in De Gea is that his performances ­recently have been very solid. He has made some big saves in some crucial games after getting a lot of stick when he first came.”