'WORLD CLASS'
Jose Mourinho insists David De Gea wants to stay at Manchester United as he labels him as the best goalkeeper in the world
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JOSE MOURINHO hailed David De Gea’s wonder save and then insisted the Spanish goalkeeper will be staying at Old Trafford.
De Gea’s 70th-minute stop kept United level with Young Boys before Marouane Fellaini plundered the only goal of the game in injury time to put the Red Devils in the Champions League knockout stage.
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And Mourinho said: “You know he's a world class player, he's the best goalkeeper in the world and if our ambitions are to be a big club to be a winning club you need the best goalkeeper in the world and you need also some other players that are the best in the world.”
The extra year on De Gea's contract has been triggered meaning he is tied to United until the end of next season.
But no new deal is yet agreed which means United would have to sell him this summer to get a top price.
Mourinho said: “I know he wants to stay, I know his agent is happy to do what the player wants and I also know the board want him to stay and they are working on that so hopefully sooner or later they reach a conclusion.”
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De Gea’s save was so important for United as they went on to win the game by that single goal.
While many were unimpressed with the performance, Mourinho was satisfied even if they did leave it late.
He said: “I was not unhappy with the players, not at all, frustrated with the fact that we couldn't score, yes, but my players were very tired at the end and that's what I love.
“I want them to be very tired. Means they give everything, and they did that with moments of very good football, moments of quality, moments of hypothetical beautiful goals and also moments of pressure, moments of lack of confidence, that frustrate us.
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“But in the end we score. I have to reunite the goal we scored with David's save. I think without David's save, no winning goal.
"But in the end we qualify in a very difficult group with one match in hand, suffering a lot, but we did it."
While Mourinho has called on Gary Lineker to try the pressure of management after being criticised by the TV pundit.
The BT Sport host was angry with Mournho for shaking his head at the United bench when Marcus Rashford missed an early chance against Young Boys in the Champions League.
Lineker said: “If I saw my manager react like that I would be absolutely livid.”
Jose Mourinho defends his emotional reactions on the touchline and says TV presenters and pundits have it easy
He also tweeted: "Turn to the crowd and your own bench and shake your head in disgust at one of your own players, let alone a youngster. You just don’t do that as a coach."
But Mourinho said: “I can never, never, blame a player because of missing chances.
“But can I have on the touchline a reaction of frustration?
“I would invite those people to sit on the bench as managers, but I think maybe is better to have lots of holidays in Barbados and go to the TV screen and touch the electronic dummies.
“It is much more comfortable than to be on the touchline like we managers are.
“A proper football manager would not criticise another one because it's deja vu for them. For the ones with a nice life is different."
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