David De Gea thanks Manchester United fans for their support after Real Madrid transfer fiasco

Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea has thanked the Old Trafford fans for their support following his collapsed deadline day transfer to Real Madrid last summer. The Spain international was left out of the Red Devils squad for the first six games of the campaign due to uncertainty over his future at the club.

De Gea refused to speak about his intentions during the transfer window, but it was widely known that he wished to return to Spain to play for real Madrid. The clubs reached an agreement on deadline day with Keylor Navas included as a makeweight, but the deal failed as paperwork did not arrive at La Liga headquarters on time.

The Spaniard promptly committed his long-term future to Manchester United, in a four-year deal worth £200,000 a week according to the Daily Mail. Louis van Gaal promptly returned the custodian to the first team for the Premier League clash with Liverpool on 12 December, despite summer signing Sergio Romero making a good impression in the opening weeks of the season.

Old Trafford fans welcomed him back with an enthusiastic ovation as his helped United secure a 3-1 win over the then Brendan Rodgers' side.

"It was just incredible, the welcome that I received from all the Manchester United fans," David said to United Review. "It was a special game, a derby against Liverpool, so to have won at home, in that fantastic atmosphere, it was unforgettable! It was amazing. It's difficult to be able to describe how I felt at that moment, even if I try to. I just want to thank all the fans for the support they've always given me since the first day I arrived here. It was just incredible."

Asked if it was good to be playing again following the speculations, De Gea added: "Yeah, it was. That was the main thing for me, after the whole summer, getting back to playing again. And coming back to Old Trafford against Liverpool was just perfect!"