De Gea drops hint on Fiorentina future, reveals top 5 Man Utd teammates | OneFootball

David de Gea admits his sabbatical year was perhaps the best moment of his life and wants to finish the season with Fiorentina ‘in the best possible way’ before extending his contract.

The experienced Spanish goalkeeper moved to the Stadio Franchi last summer, returning to action after a sabbatical year.

The ex-Manchester United star had already explained that he didn’t want to listen to offers from any other club during the past campaign after a long spell at Manchester United.

“I just wanted to take it easy for a while after playing at the highest levels for many years. Perhaps, it was the best period of my life,” he added in a new interview with La Repubblica newspaper.

“I could finally enjoy time with my family and friends whom I had seen little in the past 15 years. I travelled between Madrid and Manchester, continuing to train my mind and body.”

De Gea drops hint on Fiorentina future, reveals top 5 Man Utd teammates

David De Gea saves a penalty during Fiorentina-Milan EPA-EFE/CLAUDIO GIOVANNINI

De Gea is under contract until the end of the season, but Fiorentina have an option to extend until 2026, doubling his wages.

“I signed for one year and the club has an option to renew,” the goalkeeper said.

“I’m happy in Florence and at Fiorentina, but first we need to finish the season in the best possible way.

“The city is wonderful, and the people are amazing. The club has a unique history, and the Franchi excites me,” De Gea continued.

“It’s beautiful and passionate. I immediately said yes to Fiorentina, Serie A has always attracted me.

“I like everything, starting from the Viola Park [Fiorentina’s training ground], where I lived for the first couple of months. President Commisso and coach Palladino have a vision; there is a solid bond. We want to push as hard as possible to secure a spot in Europe and try to win the Conference League.”

De Gea is having an excellent time in Italy, even off the pitch, and is not yet considering retiring.

“I know it will happen, but I am not worried about it,” he admitted.

“There’s still time, and I am in shape. Life here is great. I love staying at home to rest, read, and watch anime, which is one of my great passions. I also play Rainbow Six on PlayStation and explore the city.

“I love Italy—the lifestyle, the language, the weather, and the food. Serie A is probably slower, but there are more tactics and strategy compared to the Premier League, where intensity is higher.”

Talking about the Premier League, De Gea picked the five best footballers he’s ever played with from his Man United squad.

“Van Persie, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney, Ibrahimovic and Lukaku,” he said.

“But when they didn’t score against me in training, they also got frustrated.”

De Gea’s most challenging moment of the season indeed was when his Fiorentina teammate Edoardo Bove collapsed on the pitch during a Serie A match against Inter in December.

“It was really tough, but Edo is truly a wonderful lad,” De Gea concluded.

“We stayed in touch when he was at the hospital. He reassured us. Fortunately, he’s doing okay now. I hope he can play football again. It’s his great love, but health matters most.”