Sport
Club legend David de Gea is leaving Manchester United after 12 seasons
While many fans will feel it is the right time, they can't help but be grateful for more than a decade of incredible service.
Manchester United legend and long-serving goalkeeper David de Gea has announced he is leaving the club after 12 long seasons.
De Gea, now 32, joined Man United when he was just 21 and has gone on to become one of the team’s most senior players, playing a total of 545 games and breaking the all-time club records for both goalkeeper appearances and clean sheets this past season.
The Spaniard has won Player of the Year four times during his tenure at Old Trafford, won the Premier League, Europa League, an FA Cup, two EFL Cups, three Community Shields and picked up two Premier League Golden Gloves, the most recent coming in the 2022/23 season.
Confirming the news in a post on social media, the long-serving number one said: “It’s been an unforgettable and successful period since I came here. I didn’t think from leaving Madrid as a young boy we would achieve what we did together.
The former Athletico Madrid keeper went on to say, “Now, it’s the right time to undertake a new challenge, to push myself again in new surroundings. Manchester will always be in my heart, Manchester has shaped me and will never leave me.
He also expressed his “unwavering gratitude and appreciation for the love from the last 12 years, adding, “We’ve achieved a lot since my dear Sir Alex Ferguson brought me to this club. I took incredible pride every time I pulled on this shirt, to lead the team, to represent this institution, the biggest club in the world was an honour only bestows upon a few lucky footballers.”
It’s fair to say that while Manchester United may not have had the same level of success since Sir Alex left but there is no doubt that, for many of those years since, de Gea has been one of the best players and was once considered the best goalkeepers in the world — to some he still is.
He ended his farewell message with the familiar line from a famous United chant, signing of by simply saying, “We’ve seen it all.” The club posted his heartfelt tribute shortly after, thanking him for his 12 years of incredible service.
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With de Gea now confirmed to be leaving on a free following his contract expiring, it is almost certain that United will finalise a deal for their rumoured replacement, Andre Onana, with the keeper having played under Erik ten Hag at Ajax and linked with the club for months now.
In fact, some reports are suggesting that the deal has already been done and the Cameroonian international will sign “next week”, with the club obviously needing to select their new first-choice keeper before the start of the new season.
Alternatively, Dean Henderson has long been crying out for the no.1 shirt and despite being loaned out after growing frustrated with a lack of opportunities last year, he has now returned to Carrington for pre-season training.
Featured Image — David de Gea (via Instagram)
Sport
Everton manager Sean Dyche randomly pops up in the music video for Blossoms’ new single – and he’s great
Danny Jones
Did anyone else think they’d ever see Sean Dyche make his acting debut in the role of a Northern crime boss in a silly little music video for the Blossoms?
No, us neither but that’s the bizarre alternate reality we’re living in, apparently.
Blossoms are currently working on the fifth studio album and have already released their lead single entitled, ‘To Do List (After The Break-Up)’, but now they have a new song out as well, with a rather amusing music video to go along with it and somehow Sean Dyche has found himself the star.
The Stockport band teased the curious collaboration in April, giving us just short glimpses of the Everton manager and former Burnley boss with very little explanation – all we know is that it looked funny and it was.
Dyche is still busy trying to finish the Premier League campaign as strong as possible after successfully navigating the Toffees to safety even in spite of their points deductions this season, but it sounds like keeping them up has given him enough time to moonlight as an actor.
Sending the indie five-piece on a mission to collect something of value (yes, that’s all the info we have at this point as the story is still to be continued), it looks like the Kettering-born coach has a larger role to play in whatever this narrative turns out to be.
Playing what can only be described as some kind of semi-Manc mafia figure on the hunt for a very valuable piece of art, i.e. a big giant gorilla statue – one that many Stopfordians spotted being lugged around various parts of the borough –
They also shared a little bit of BTS footage from the shoot for the music video last week. Some lovely head-bobbing and unassuming surroundings here:
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As for the track itself, it’s a bit of stylistic change for the lads who’ve mastered their 80s-tinged indie formula over the past decade but it’s an absolute pop and is already stuck in our heads.
Revealing that they’ve collaborated with contemporary funk, disco and electronic icons Jungle on the track, it doesn’t take too long to hear the influences. Look forward to hearing it at Wythenshawe Park this summer.
You can watch the music video for ‘What Can I Say?’ and the ginger-goatee’d football manager extraordinaire in full character HERE.
He’s not the only footballing figure who’s made an entertainment crossover recently either.
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Featured Images — Blossoms (via YouTube)/Virgin EMI
Sport
Tributes paid to former Manchester City winger Ian Mellor, dead at 74
Danny Jones
Tributes are pouring following the death of former Manchester City star, Ian Mellor, who has sadly passed away at the age of 74.
Mellor, from Sale in Greater Manchester, played as a left winger for Man City as well as the likes of Norwich City, Brighton, Chester, Sheffield Wednesday and Bradford.
With his family and former club confirming the death on Wednesday, 1 May, social media has been awash with people paying their respects to the seasoned ex-pro who sadly died following a long battle with amyloidosis, a rare and incurable disease which affects organs such as the heart, brains and kidneys.
Replying to his son and ex-Liverpool turned Sky Sports broadcaster, Neil Mellor, the club paid their respects to the former Blue who made 50 appearances for the club.
Mellor began his career just down the road at Wythenshawe Amateurs before going on to represent City from 1970 to 1973.
A boyhood fan of the club, he scored 10 goals whilst wearing Sky Blue and also went on to win the Charity Shield with them back in 1972.
Eventually nicknamed ‘Spider’ for a good chunk of his career due to his long-legged stature, he remained attached to the beautiful game for years after his retirement and went on to become a committee member for the Former Players Association at City.
Joining the likes of all his former clubs, Chester City said: “Everyone at [the club] is saddened to hear of the passing of Ian Mellor. Sending all our love to you and your family, Neil Mellor.
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His son Neil’s goodbye has touched many online too, calling his dad his “hero” and his “everything”.
He also went on to thank locally-based end-of-life care organisation and charity, St Ann’s Hospice, who have facilities all over Greater Manchester and who helped care for Ian in his final days.
Our thoughts are with his friends and family as well as those whose lives he touched through football during this difficult time.
Rest in peace.
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Featured Images — Manchester City/Neil Mellor (via X)
