De Gea set for warm M16 return
Former Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea is assured a warm Old Trafford reception when he returns for the first time as a player with Fiorentina on Saturday.
The Spaniard departed Old Trafford in 2023 after a 12-year stint with United, before pitching up with La Viola – who provide the opposition for our final pre-season game of 2025/26 – a year later.
He was signed in 2011 from Atletico Madrid to take on the daunting task of filling Edwin van der Sar's gloves and, after overcoming a tough start to United life, grew to become similarly renowned for his immense shot-stopping ability and quick reactions.
But why is De Gea so highly-regarded at Old Trafford? One stat couldn't map it out in any simpler terms.
De Gea made an incredible 415 Premier League starts for the Reds, including throughout the 2012/13 campaign, which saw us lift the title in Sir Alex Ferguson's last season in charge before he retired.
Only Ryan Giggs can boast more on 522, putting the goalkeeper ahead of legendary names like Paul Scholes (404), Gary Neville (380), Wayne Rooney (354) and Roy Keane (309) in this metric.
Even when adjusted for games played rather that starts – encompassing substitute appearances that benefit his outfield competitors more with goalkeepers routinely left between the sticks for the full 90 minutes – De Gea only slips into third place, with Scholes jumping ahead, the midfielder having 499 appearances to his name.
Few modern-day Reds come close to the gloveman's longevity, which in a fast-paced football industry, at an ultra-competitive club like United, rightfully banks admiration from supporters at Old Trafford.
Following Marcus Rashford's season-long loan to Barcelona, none of the current top 10 on our all-time Premier League appearance list are due to be in Ruben Amorim's squad for the 2025/26 season.
That means De Gea's place in the standings is confirmed for some time to come and, in any case, it will take anyone multiple seasons to get close.
UNITED'S ALL-TIME PREMIER LEAGUE APPEARANCES
1. Ryan Giggs - 632
2. Paul Scholes - 499
3. David de Gea - 415
4. Gary Neville - 400
5. Wayne Rooney - 393
6. Roy Keane - 326
7. Michael Carrick - 316
8. Rio Ferdinand - 312
9. Denis Irwin - 296
10. Marcus Rashford - 287
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His place in the starts chart is even safer, with De Gea the only active footballer in the rankings, so his name will be up there for some time yet.
Should Fiorentina boss Stefano Pioli select the 34-year-old to face Amorim's men at Old Trafford on 9 August, it will be an emotional return for De Gea and United fans alike, having seen him take up the same position, albeit in a more familiar shirt, so frequently in recent history.
UNITED ALL-TIME PREMIER LEAGUE STARTS
1. Ryan Giggs - 522
2. David De Gea - 415
3. Paul Scholes - 404
4. Gary Neville - 380
5. Wayne Rooney - 354
6. Roy Keane - 309
7. Rio Ferdinand - 305
8. Denis Irwin - 286
9. Michael Carrick - 266
10. Patrice Evra - 265
Stats supplied by Opta and correct as of 04/08/2025.
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