David de Gea spent a year without a club before joining Fiorentina.
Even though he was a free agent, De Gea described his time away from football after leaving Manchester United as “the best period” of his career.
After leaving Manchester United in 2023, De Gea took a full year off. He shared that this break was the best time of his life. The former Spain goalkeeper also discussed his future with Fiorentina, where he has had an outstanding season.
The 2022–2023 season, which also saw the arrival of coach Erik ten Hag, was De Gea’s final season with Manchester United.
Even though David de Gea played 58 games in the same season, including all 38 Premier League matches, there were rumors that Ten Hag didn’t fully trust him. At one point, De Gea even considered quitting football due to how Ten Hag treated him.
With 545 appearances, De Gea became the seventh-most capped player in Manchester United’s history. In July 2023, after failing to agree on a new contract, he left Old Trafford as a free agent.
Although he hoped to stay in Spain and join a local team, clubs from the Saudi Pro League reached out to him. He took a break from football for a year when no Spanish club showed interest. Last summer, he joined Fiorentina in Serie A, where he became one of the best goalkeepers in Italy.
The 34-year-old shared in an interview with La Repubblica (via Football Italia) that he enjoyed the time off and spending more time with his family.
“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.
“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 has been an important yet underrated goalkeeper for Fiorentina this season, playing 29 games in all competitions. With 48 points, the team is currently in seventh place in Serie A and hopes to qualify for Europe next season. De Gea will be back in action when his team faces Atalanta on Sunday.
