Manchester United treble winner Peter Schmeichel has urged people to 'stop being stupid' over David de Gea and show him support as he goes through a bad patch.
The Spaniard is going through a poor spell of form with his latest mistake against Chelsea all but ending United's hopes of Champions League football next season.
The 28-year-old has been at fault for nine goals in his last 11 appearances with many suggesting he should be dropped for the last two games against Huddersfield and Cardiff with Sergio Romero given a call up instead.
But Schmeichel, who made 339 appearances for United and kept 155 clean sheets, thinks there's been a mass overreaction to De Gea's recent displays.
"I think people should stop being stupid," the Dane told MEN Sport. "The whole team is not having a great time and the truth is the whole team has not had the best of time for years.
Manchester United might need two transfer lists this summer
"It’s only been one guy performing at the highest level and that’s David de Gea. At some point during a career you always have a period when it’s not going for you and luck isn’t going your way and as soon as this happens then they turn on him.
"It's so easy for everyone on Twitter and Instagram to hammer him. But think about how good he has been for the club and then instead of hammering him support him."
Schmeichel was speaking as he prepares to make his Old Trafford return in the Treble Reunion game against Bayern Munich on Sunday May 26.
The game is to mark the 20th anniversary of the game but Schmeichel admitted he has no idea what was going through his mind when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's injury time winner went in at the Nou Camp 20 years ago.
"I can’t remember what went through my head," he said. "I have to be completely honest I was celebrating inside that we have comeback with the first goal and I stopped myself and was thinking enough is enough because we were going to golden goal and I have never played in that format before.
What Arsenal and Chelsea's Europa League results mean for Manchester United and the Champions League
"All I was thinking was three years before in the European Championship final and they were going to silver goal and the Czech Republic goalkeeper made a mistake in the second half and Germany won and I was thinking I’m not going to do that.
"So I was trying to refocus and get myself back and that’s when the second goal happened."
Tickets for the Treble Reunion match at Old Trafford on Sunday, May 26th at 3pm are available online. All proceeds from the game will go to the Manchester United Foundation to help its work with young people across Greater Manchester.
Manchester United fans make Luka Jovic transfer demand after strike vs Chelsea
Manchester United have two young players that are going under the radar
