Image:De Gea: The young goalkeeper has been signed by Man Utd to replace the retired Edwin van der Sar
Sir Alex Ferguson is confident he made the right decision in signing David de Gea to replace Edwin van der Sar.
United boss happy with choice of Van der Sar's replacement
Sir Alex Ferguson is confident he has made the right decision in signing David de Gea to replace the retired Edwin van der Sar at Manchester United.
De Gea, who is just 20 years old, cost United £18million from Atletico Madrid earlier in the summer after Ferguson settled on the Spaniard to succeed Van der Sar.
The Under 21 international's slender frame and youth have prompted suggestions De Gea could struggle to adapt to the demands of the Premier League.
However, 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 Czech joined Chelsea, where he blossomed into one of the best goalkeepers on the planet.
The United boss had no intention of making the same mistake again and he felt De Gea's performance in Saturday's 2-1 victory over Barcelona in Washington justified the call.
"Replacing Edwin van der Sar is very difficult," said Ferguson. "He was a great goalkeeper.
"But the benefit we have with De Gea is that he is 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 goalkeeper to take."
