Lindegaard hopes to keep rising star De Gea at bay

Anders Lindegaard believes that David De Gea will emerge as Manchester United’s best goalkeeper in the future.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was happy to throw De Gea into action at the start of the current season, but the young Spaniard’s inconsistent form has handed Lindegaard more opportunities to impress.

However, Lindegaard insisted that De Gea had the potential to be the best goalkeeper at the club, but hoped he could hold the 21-year-old off while he remained at Old Trafford.

“David has extraordinary attributes, he is extremely explosive and powerful,” Lindegaard said.

“He is only 21, but his potential is massive and there is no doubt he will be United’s best goalkeeper at some point. My job is to make sure it is not until I have retired, which is about 10 years away!”

“Of course, everyone wants to play as much as possible and I’m no different, so I don’t need a definition of my position (as first-choice).”

The two goalkeepers maintain a strong working relationship, Lindegaard added, regardless of who is preferred by Ferguson for each match.

“I am doing everything I can to help him,” he said. “I enjoy working with him. He is happy, intelligent, always with a good attitude and we have to push each other.”

“We have to see the glass half full, not half empty, and we have to push each other in the right direction.”

“It has been very good for both of us. Every time we play, the last guy to wish the keeper good luck is the other keeper. We have a very good relationship and I enjoy working with him.”

“But it says a lot for me that I am keeping him out of the team and I am very proud of what I have made out of this.”

The 27-year-old’s ascent to the Premier League has been steep, having been loaned out by his first club, Odense, to the Danish lower divisions as recently as 2008.

“Three years ago, I was in Denmark’s second division and nobody knew my name,” Lindegaard said.

“When I first came here, nobody could pronounce it.”

“It has been fantastic to this point and right now is not the time to relax but to keep pushing on, to get better and to get the best for yourself and the club.”