33-year-old goalkeeper David de Gea, who recently signed with Italian club Fiorentina, has clarified that he never considered retiring from football.
De Gea told Mirror:
I never thought about retiring, it was just difficult to find motivation for a new chapter after 12 years at a top club like Man United. I finally felt that at Fiorentina.
On August 9, it was reported that the former Spain international and Manchester United goalkeeper had signed with Fiorentina, marking his return to professional football after a year-long break.
It is reported that de Gea will earn around three million euros for the season. His contract is for one year, with the option to extend for another season. The transfer value of the 33-year-old goalkeeper is five million euros, according to Transfermarkt.
De Gea left Manchester United, where he played since 2011, as a free agent on July 8, 2023, and had been without a club since then.
According to The Athletic, the Spanish goalkeeper had contemplated retiring from professional football due to the treatment he received from Dutch manager Erik ten Hag right after leaving Manchester United in the summer of 2023.