Football: Ferguson happy with De Gea decision

WASHINGTON: Sir Alex Ferguson is convinced he has made the right move by spending £18 million on 20-year-old goal-keeper David De Gea. Ferguson pushed himself into buying De Gea when he recalled how he backed away from signing Petr Cech on age grounds and was subsequently proved incorrect when the keeper joined Chelsea, where he blossomed into one of the best in the world. “Replacing Edwin van der Sar is very difficult,” said Ferguson. “He was a great goal-keeper but the benefit we have with De Gea is that he’s only 20. The qualities that stood out for us are his great composure and use of the ball. He is quick and agile, which is something we banked on. When we assessed him I thought he was the right goal-keeper to take.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 1^st, 2011.