David de Gea Claims 'It's a Dream' to Play for Man Utd Amid Widespread Praise

David de Gea has admitted that 'it's a dream' to play for Manchester United as he continues to receive widespread praise for his performances.

The Spanish goalkeeper has been repeatedly linked with a move to Real Madrid in recent years, having established himself as one of the game's best.

And De Gea has acknowledged the acclaim he has been given following his continuously excellent displays for United.

"Of course, you feel really proud when people think this about you," he told MUTV. "It's really good, but I like to keep my focus, keep working hard and doing my best.

"To be fair, when you are really young, you don't think about the future too much, you just want to play with your friends.

"When you get older, you start to dream about being there, about being at a top team, so of course it's a dream to be at a team like Manchester United."

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De Gea added that he only began to believe in his ability to do well as a goalkeeper in his teenage years.

"It's difficult," he said. "I don't know. I never thought that when I was young. Maybe when I was 15 or 16 years old, I started feeling better, thinking that I could play at a high level.

"At the same time, I was also playing tennis and things like that, but I was always better at football. I played some basketball too, but football is what I love."

De Gea kept a clean sheet as Spain beat Italy 3-0 in Saturday's World Cup Qualifer, and is yet to concede in the Premier League for United this season.