Former Manchester United goalkeeping coach Emilio Alvarez has surprisingly blasted David de Gea, labelling him as disloyal and claiming the goalkeeper was the reason why he left the club.
The talented Spaniard has probably had one of his worst seasons in recent memory this year with a small section of supporters calling for him to be replaced.
The only reason these fans want De Gea replaced is due to Dean Henderson‘s impressive loan spell at Sheffield United.
Alvarez hasn’t called for anything as drastic but has admitted in a tell-all interview he was disappointed in the way De Gea conducted himself.
The interview is interesting because of its timing but also because it goes against what was said in a previous report.
According to Manchester Evening News, Alvarez said: “After almost three years with lots of work and meetings with United to renew him and to make him the best paid player in the world, I learned that he had renewed behind my back.
“Honestly, it felt like a lack of loyalty. During negotiations, he also had a falling out with the person who had carried out all the talks in order for him to be paid what he was paid.
“And at the last minute, someone else meddled. I insisted that I didn’t like that because it seemed disloyal.
“I asked David why he didn’t say anything to me and he said that he was told not to say anything to anybody. This had an impact on me.
“The way I understand my profession is that you can’t help someone develop if you do not have total confidence with them and that’s why I decided to leave United.
“I told them I was going but not because I wanted to leave United. I wanted to stop coaching De Gea.
“Aside from being his mentor at Atletico Madrid, where I backed him strongly, I was the person who convinced him to sign for United. I was his right-hand man in Manchester.
“I came to United thanks to the great work of Jorge Mendes and because Mourinho wanted to sign me to help David develop and to keep him at the club. At that moment, he wanted to leave United.
“All the merit falls at the feet of Jorge Mendes, who did massive work for a number of years, working day and night. I added my own little grain of sand.
“Solskjaer asked me every day to speak with Mendes in order to get David to renew. The press was asking every day about it and there was a lot of pressure.
“There was pressure to speak to David so he would stay and not listen to other offers. Solskjaer was very worried.”
The report back in March had claimed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer demoted and then, later on, fired Alvarez who apparently would spend his nights out late.
Nonetheless, everything that has been said sheds some light on what goes on behind the scenes and what may have caused De Gea’s poor form.
Manchester United great Peter Schmeichel had even claimed the former Atletico Madrid man may be suffering simply because of the change in tactics.
Schmeichel claimed De Gea has been used to having plenty of things to deal with but now under Solskjaer the improved defence has meant he’s had to change and adapt his game.
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