De Gea 'Can Match Schmeichel'

Manchester United legend Paddy Crerand feels goalkeeper David De Gea could one day be spoken of in the same breath as Peter Schmeichel.

Crerand was speaking on his Monday night phone-in programme on MUTV, The Paddy Crerand Show, in response to ManUtd.com's week-long spotlight on De Gea campaign, celebrating the Spaniard's excellent recent form and his status in the game as one of the game's best goalkeepers.

Schmeichel is generally acknowledged to be the finest custodian ever to play for the Reds, amassing 15 major trophies in a glittering career at Old Trafford between 1991 and 1999. And although De Gea has some way to go to match those achievements, he has plenty of time of his side and Crerand feels David is capable of becoming one of the club’s all-time greats.

The 1968 European Cup winner said: "David has been terrific for the last couple of seasons and is getting better and better. He is only 24 – that is so young for a keeper. You expect them to be at their best when they’re 34, so what’s he going to be like in the next five or six years?

"I remember when Schmeichel first came here, he struggled a little bit with crossed balls, but he got better as he got older and was an absolutely fantastic keeper for Manchester United. This kid [De Gea] could get there no problem."