Woods: De Gea Can Be Best

Manchester United coach Chris Woods believes David De Gea has “everything needed” to become the best goalkeeper in world football.

The 22-year-old glovesman has been widely commended this season, most recently drawing praise from his manager David Moyes and team-mate Javier Hernandez following an impressive performance during last weekend’s 3-2 comeback win over Stoke City.

Such a display underlined the growing belief that De Gea can realise his dream of becoming the world no.1 and Woods, who has worked with the Spaniard since moving to United in July, says it is a realistic ambition – though there is a way to go yet.

“David has got everything that you need to be the best and he has just got to keep doing what he is doing at the moment,” he told United Review. “It is about achieving a level of consistency, which he is now doing but I don’t want to tempt fate. He has everything needed to be up there with the best.”

As well as De Gea, Woods is also full of praise for United’s full roster of goalkeepers and the former England stopper is pleased with the group’s attitude to life at the Aon Training Complex, where competition for places is as intense as always.

“They have been absolutely first class,” Chris explains. “From my point of view, they have taken the training on board, worked hard and I don’t think they have moaned! They have worked really hard and we are forming that coach/player relationship that you need.

“It’s a little bit different to working with outfield players because you are such a closely-knit group all of the time, so you need to trust in each other.

"It is the hardest position because there is only one spot, but they are a good group because they motivate each other to get the best out of everyone.

“I know that I am new and seeing that side of it, but from my experiences, I know that all goalkeepers stand by each other. It’s the goalkeepers union. I’ve found the competition between the keepers has kept the standards very high, which is what I’m looking for.”