David de Gea keen to stay at Manchester United as he approaches 10 years at club

David de Gea joined Manchester United from Atletico Madrid

Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea says it is "like a dream" to be approaching 10 years at the club.

It was a tricky start in England for De Gea, who joined from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2011, as he tried to fill the void of the retired Edwin van der Sar while fighting for his place in the team with Anders Lindegaard.

After securing his status as United's No 1, De Gea played a key role in Sir Alex Ferguson's final title-winning side in the 2012/13 season, keeping 11 clean sheets as he earned a place in the PFA Team of The Year.

De Gea struggled to adapt to English football in his first season

Despite United failing to come close to winning a Premier League title since then, De Gea has continued to shine individually, winning the club's Player of the Year award a record four times.

De Gea, who signed a contract extension in September until 2023, told United's official club website: "Yeah, I'm getting older. Just to be a part of this club is amazing.

"So imagine, to be nearly 10 years, it's like a dream. It's great to play games with this club, so I hope I can be here more years, many years."

De Gea buoyed by Man Utd form

0:48 Roy Keane believes the feel-good factor is coming back to Manchester United Roy Keane believes the feel-good factor is coming back to Manchester United

Before the football season was halted by coronavirus, United were on an unbeaten run stretching back to the end of January, which included eight wins from 11 games with only two goals conceded in that time.

United's form coincided with the £68m arrival of midfielder Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon in January.

De Gea is hopeful the team can pick up from where they left off when the season resumes, especially with Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba both nearing a return to full fitness.

"I think the whole team improved a lot [before lockdown]," De Gea said. "We were in a good moment.

Bruno Fernandes has been a hit since joining United from Sporting Lisbon

"I think we were in very good, top form, we didn't concede many goals, and of course with Bruno [Fernandes] he brings a lot of quality. He's a clever player, a top midfielder, the team improves with him and it was a pity that everything stopped because we were in a good moment.

"But hopefully with some players that were injured will be fit when it all starts again, so it will be a good challenge for everyone."