It’s been six years since the mighty Manchester United last won a Premier League Title. With a shift in power now towards the Blue side of Manchester, Man Utd have had a hard time getting back into the thick of things.

Though Manchester United’s performance pattern has taken a massive dip ever since Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement from the managerial role, one certain player who has consistently remained at his best post the era of Sir Alex has been David de Gea.

David de Gea will now be on a course of his eighth season for United. As the club is going through a troublesome period of finding the right individual to lead the side, quite a few fans and pundits suggest that de Gea, being the best player of the club should be rightfully handed the captain’s armband and here are the reasons why

In his prime: The shot-stopper at the age of 28 is considered as one of the best if not the best goalkeepers of modern-day football. His skills and agility have more often than not won Man Utd a large number of games. Some of the saves which have pulled off by him in the recent past are termed as “impossible to save,” by footballing brains. With plenty of years still in front of him, making David de Gea the face of Manchester United might actually work for the club’s betterment.

2. Rubbed his shoulders with the best: When David de Gea was signed as the replacement for Edvin Van der Sar, he had big shoes to fill. But his early days with the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra in defense, along with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs who were considered as genuine leaders of their time would have given any young player heaps of confidence. Each of those players mentioned above has led the red devils in the field and have had their fair share of success.

3. Working his way up the ranks: Sir Alex Ferguson had missed a league game for only the second time in his career. The first game he missed was for his son’s wedding, while the second one was to scout David de Gea while he was keeping for Atletico Madrid in a game in La Liga. It clearly showed how special the goalkeeper was in Sir Alex’s eyes. With Manchester United bagging him in the transfer market, David de Gea clearly felt the pressure in his first couple of seasons and it was evident through his performances in front of goal. Lack of confidence in going for the ball while corners were being taken and his lanky frame was being exploited in the ever so physical English League. On a few occasions, Sir Alex Ferguson had to bench him for Anders Lindegaard. However de Gea didn’t get bogged down by it as his training regime turned him into a physically supreme athlete, and his performances improved significantly. The sheer grit displayed by de Gea when his back was against the wall presented the ‘Never Say Die’ attitude of the club as well as himself.

4.Through thick and thin: The 28-year-old is one of those rare players in the current squad who has won the Premier League title. Triumphs in the FA Cup, League Cup, and the Europa League has also added value to the Spaniard as a player. But more than glory, it’s the hardships which have been of a constant for de Gea in a team which is still in search of a way to claw it’s way back to domestic and global dominance. However, David de Gea’s persistence to stick with his current club in spite of the downfall of Manchester United on the pitch ensures a sense of solidarity to the club as well as a large number of fans who are associated with Manchester United.

5. The Rebuild: With a club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer now permanently appointed as the manager of Manchester United, free-flowing football will possibly be the mantra for the season to come. Manchester United play best when they’re on the attack and it will have a positive impact on the final results. Solskjaer also confessed about “rebuilding” a squad which might suit United’s style. With the current manager being an apprentice of the great Sir Alex Ferguson who chose de Gea as the long term shot-stopper of the club.

Though Solskjaer might have stated Ashely Young as the captain, with the signing of Aaron Wan Bisakka, there’s a rare chance of Young being constantly in the playing XI this season. So, with Ashley Young not being in the field there is a high possibility that David De Gea might be in contention to lead the squad as he has outdone even the likes of himself on several occasions through his performances which makes him the perfect choice to be the main man for the Red Devils upfront.

As the new season is upon us De Gea, being the veteran and star man at Manchester United might very well lead the ranks as a new chapter waits to be unveiled for the Spanish International.