Former Manchester United coach Eric Steele has leapt to the defence of David de Gea and hit back at criticism of the goalkeeper from Roy Keane.
Keane hit the headlines with a stinging rant aimed at de Gea and Harry Maguire at half-time during Manchester United's 1-1 draw with Tottenham last month.
The former United captain claimed he was "sick to death" of the "overrated Manchester United goalkeeper", after an error which allowed Steven Bergwijn to give Spurs the lead.
However, Steele, who worked with De Gea at the club for a number of years, has defended De Gea from Keane's criticism, whilst claiming he will bounce back stronger than ever.
"Roy Keane has his way and that is Roy Keane's way, as a player, as a coach and what he does as a pundit," Steele told the Football, the Albion and Me podcast.
"Roy Keane was terrific for Sky TV. What I'd say is, I'd have handled that totally differently. David de Gea did not need Roy Keane to go on a rant for him to know he made an error.
"I'd look at it and I'd say the same if I was talking to Joe Hart, Tom Heaton, Mart Poom at Derby, Lee Grant at Derby who is now at Man United.
"He's now coming up to 400 games for Manchester United. He's going to make that in the next two weeks. You don't play that many games for the biggest clubs in the world without being a very good goalkeeper.
"Yes, he's had a little dip but if you've been at a club for nine years. Peter Schmeichel arrived at 28, he had a very tough time in his first two, three months, as did David for five, six months.
"David was 20, he's now nearly 30 and coming up to 400 games for Manchester United. My answer to that would be, look what he's won, look what he's contributed. Yes, he knows he has made an error but what I do know is David's composure, his character, his calmness, he won't be bothered.
"I bet he hasn't even watched it. It would take someone to send it him on Twitter or whatever. It would go straight over his head.
"He came to Manchester United, he'd won the Europa League, the Under-21s with Spain, he'd won it again, he'd won the Super Cup and Under-17s with Spain.
"He's since won Premier League, FA Cup, Community Shields, Europa League. You don't become a fantastic goalkeeper overnight and yes, he's had a rough ride over the last eight, nine months but it's his ninth year.
"The pressures he's had to work under. Different managers, five different goalkeeper coaches. David will rise again and part of that demeanour is his character, which will come through."
