After 12 years, David De Gea says goodbye to Manchester United.

The Spanish goalkeeper has served well and not many like him are able to play for one club for this long, especially in an era where enough cash has been ejected into the English Premier League and where players keep eloping in search of enough cash.

The case of David De Gea has left many wondering whether he was ever going to depart Old Trafford in search of something worthwhile especially when the most coveted price in world football which is the Champions eluded him for years.

After 12 years of undying fielty for the Red Devils who could have thought that their stand-out goalkeeper De Gea will depart the club through Instagram and this was the message he left behind.

The Spaniard posted on Instagram: “I would like to express my unwavering gratitude and appreciation for the love from the last 12 years. We’ve achieved a lot since my dear Sir Alex Ferguson brought me to this club. I took incredible pride every time I pulled on this shirt.

“It’s been an unforgettable and successful period since I came here. I didn’t think from leaving Madrid as a young boy we would achieve what we did together.

“Now, it’s the right time to undertake a new challenge, to push myself again in new surroundings.

“Manchester will always be in my heart, Manchester has shaped me and will never leave me.

“We’ve seen it.

In an era where the ball is played from the goal post-De Gea was surely not the type of keeper who could play the ball as a player would and with Manchester City progressing with this system it was only a matter of time before their rivals also took this approach.

Head coach Eric Ten Hag had this to say about David De Gea

Manager Erik ten Hag added: “It takes great quality and character to reach the level of even playing one game for Manchester United. To do it 545 times over 12 years is a special achievement, particularly in the goalkeeping position where every game puts you in the spotlight.

“To have won Player of the Year awards from both the fans and his team-mates, each on four occasions, shows the level of his performance and he will always be remembered as one of the very best goalkeepers in the history of the club.”