Former Man Utd Goalkeeping Coach Blasts David de Gea for ‘Lacking Loyalty’

David De Gea's former goalkeeping coach at Manchester United, Emilio Alvarez, has blasted the Spaniard for 'lacking loyalty'.

Alvarez, who departed Old Trafford last year and was De Gea's mentor during his time at Atletico, was brought in by Jose Mourinho in 2016 to help keep De Gea at the club. And although the Spaniard penned a contract extension until 2023 in September last year, Alvarez departed soon after.

Now, De Gea's former goalkeeper coach has revealed to AS that it was the 29-year-old's decision to go behind his back and ditch agent Jorge Mendes without telling him, which forced him to leave Old Trafford.

"After almost three years with lots of work and meetings with United to renew him and to make him the best-paid player in the world, I learned that he had renewed behind my back," Alvarez said.

"Honestly, it felt like a lack of loyalty. During negotiations, he also had a falling out with the person who had carried out all the talks in order for him to be paid what he was paid. "I told them I was going but not because I wanted to leave United. I wanted to stop coaching De Gea."

The former Real Madrid goalkeeping coach, who claimed to be De Gea's 'right-hand man in Manchester', said he only played a bit role in the Spaniard opting to extend his stay in Manchester, with Mendes doing the majority of the hard work.

"Well, the great merit goes to Jorge Mendes, who did a great job during those years, working day and night. I contributed my grain of sand.

"Solskjaer asked me every day to speak with Mendes so that David could renew.., Solskjaer was very concerned that David was okay," he added.

He also confirmed that he rejected approaches from some of Europe's elite about a potential coaching role, concluding with another dig at De Gea; "It is true. PSG and Madrid called me, but I stayed at United for not leaving De Gea. For me, that is loyalty."