The 3 players Man Utd signed alongside David de Gea in 2011 – & how they fared
David de Gea was one of four arrivals at Manchester United in the summer of 2011.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s Red Devils went into the 2011-12 campaign, having just won their fourth Premier League title in five years before.
They were looking to bounce back from disappointment after losing to Barcelona in the Champions League final, which was long-serving goalkeeper Edwin van Der’s final match for the club.
The club moved to sign David de Gea for a £17million, a British record fee for a goalkeeper at the time. He was just 21 but had proven himself an outstanding prospect after breaking through at Atletico Madrid.
Fast forward 12 years and De Gea is leaving Old Trafford after making over 500 appearances for Manchester United.
But what became of the club’s other signings in that transfer window? We’ve revisited each of them.
Anders Lindegaard
United bought Lindegaard from Norwegian club Aalesunds FK for £3.5million in January 2011 as they looked to bolster a number of options following the departure of Van der Sar.
The goalkeeper wanted to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot and idol Peter Schmeichel but it soon became clear that he would have to settle for a role as back-up.
He made just 19 Premier League appearances in four-and-a-half years at the club, 10 of which came in the title-winning campaign of 2012-13.
The Denmark international joined West Brom on a free transfer in 2015 and then had brief spells at Preston North End and Burnley.
Lindegaard returned to Scandinavia with Swedish club Helsingborg in 2019 and hit the headlines after scoring an injury-time equaliser against Falkenberg in July 2020 and finally hung up his gloves in 2022.
“After I started playing again, I reflected on what the dream really is,” Lindegaard told Tipsbladet in 2019. “Is it being at a club like United, is it making money or is it just playing football and feeling like you are the best every time?
“I could well have stayed in Norway, and there is also a part of me today that wish I had stayed in Scandinavia all these years.”
Phil Jones
After Jones established himself as one of the best young goalkeepers, United beat a number of other clubs to secure Jones’ signature in the summer of 2011.
He quickly established himself as a United regular under Sir Alex Ferguson, who tipped the defender for a bright future at Old Trafford.
“Jones, arguably the way he is looking, could be our best ever player,” Ferguson said in 2013. “I think Jones may be one of the best players we have ever had, no matter where we play him. At 21 years of age, he is going to be a phenomenal player.”
The England international had his moments in his early years at Old Trafford, but it’s fair to say that he never quite lived up to such hype. He’s just left the club at the end of his contract, with injury issues restricting him to just six Premier League appearances in the last four years.
“I wish I could have played more. I wish I could have given more to the many squads I played alongside,” Jones wrote in a heartfelt statement after his departure was confirmed.
“I will say, from the bottom of my heart, I did everything I could. I did everything the medical team asked of me. I never left a stone unturned in the pursuit of living my dream and having the opportunity to represent Manchester United on the pitch.”
Jones is yet to announce the next step of his career, but it wouldn’t be a shock to see him retire after years of injury frustration.
Thank you @ManUtd pic.twitter.com/HtB9koypkt
— Phil Jones (@PhilJones4) May 19, 2023
Ashley Young
Young developed into one of the most exciting wingers in the Premier League at Aston Villa before completing a £17million move to United in 2011.
He endeared himself to the supporters with brilliant goals against Arsenal and Tottenham in his debut season before making 19 Premier League appearances in Ferguson’s final year. Then he reinvented himself as a full-back under Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, becoming a consistent and reliable performer in his new role.
But the former England international fell down the pecking order following Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s arrival in 2019 and moved to Inter Milan a few months later.
After helping Inter win their first Serie A title since 2010 in 2020-21, he returned to England for a swansong at Aston Villa. He left Villa Park for a second time at the end of last season and it remains to be seen whether he’ll hang up the boots or stick around for a little longer.
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