David de Gea has thrown his name in the hat to become Manchester United’s next club captain.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to appoint a new captain following Antonio Valencia’s departure at the start of the summer.
Ashley Young was vice-captain last season and is the obvious replacement but Juan Mata and Paul Pogba are also being considered by the United head coach.
With the new season just under a few weeks ago, a decision will have to be made soon and first choice goalkeeper De Gea would also like to be in the running.
“I’ve been captain for some games. Of course it is amazing to be captain of a club like Manchester United and defend this badge,” De Gea told The Times. “It’s amazing, so of course I’ll be really, really happy to captain.
“It’s my ninth season, I feel like one of the most experienced players. I need to show that on the pitch and try to help the young guys know what Manchester United means and that’s important.”
De Gea is on the verge of pledging his long-term future to United after finally agreeing a new contract with the Red Devils.
The 28-year-old has entered the final 12 months of his current deal but has reportedly agreed to become the best-paid goalkeeper in the world.
De Gea has endured a testing last year for club and country and seemed set to leave United earlier in the summer.
However, an announcement on his new six-year deal is expected imminently and the Spaniard even has his eyes set on the captain’s armband for next season.
De Gea’s WhoScored rating of 6.52 was his worst in eight Premier League seasons with the Red Devils, conceding almost twice as many goals (54) as the 2017/18 campaign (28).
