Sergio Romero Happy 'Friend' David de Gea Is Staying at Man Utd Despite Competition

Manchester United goalkeeper Sergio Romero has revealed that he is happy David de Gea won't be leaving the club this summer after months of frenzied Real Madrid speculation. That's despite the Argentine international remaining two as a result.

Rather than be bitter about losing his opportunity to shine, Romero is pleased because he actually credits De Gea and the level of strong, but amicable, competition at the club for making him a better goalkeeper since he arrived at Old Trafford as a free agent in 2015.

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"It's better for the club that there is this competition there between me and David. And the truth is that there exists a great friendship between us, we work hard in order help each other out," Romero is quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror.

"It's very important that we work in this way so we can get the most out of each other. If he puts pressure on me, I put pressure on him and it's the same with young Joel Pereira who is working with us," the 2014 World Cup finalist went on to explain.

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"So yes, it's good for me if [David] stays at United. He is a friend and we will keep working hard to help each other out in training. If he does well then I do well, so in that way, the level of performance will always be high."

Having been unfairly pre-judged by many United fans when he first arrived at the behest of Louis van Gaal two summers ago, Romero managed to win over supporters in a big way with fine performances in the Europa League last season, never once letting the club down.

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He played 12 times in the competition, including the final in Stockholm, and is seen by many as the best understudy goalkeeper in the Premier League. As such, he was recently rewarded with a new four-year United contract and has played a considerable role on tour this summer.