Former Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur striker Garth Crooks insists the recent performances of David de Gea have made United look a better team than what they "actually are."
Crooks made the admission after including De Gea in his Premier League Team of the Week, following the Spaniard's inspired performance in the Reds' 1-0 win over Norwich City on Saturday.
De Gea, as he has so often this season, was called into action on several occasions, not least in the second half when he tipped Teemu Pukki's fierce effort over the bar in stunning fashion, before producing a world-class save to keep out Ozan Kabak's header.
Although the former Atletico Madrid man does not necessarily have the clean sheets to show for his efforts this season, he has been nothing short of outstanding in recent months and can consider himself firmly in the running to be crowned the club's Player of the Season if he maintains this level of form.
Having included him in his weekly Team of the Week that he selects, Crooks has admitted that De Gea's recent showings, which have featured two clean sheets in his last two appearances since Ralf Rangnick landed the interim manager's job, are masking how United are performing overall.
Crooks toId BBC Sport : "It is the save from Teemu Pukki was top class then the one from Ozan Kabak's header was world class. This is the second Manchester United league performance I have seen under Ralf Rangnick and without De Gea in goal they would have lost them both.
"He is in the most brilliant form and once again United's best player. There's still a lot of work to do with this team, especially in defence, but De Gea is making them look better than they actually are.
"Norwich, on the other hand, are starting to look like a team under Dean Smith, which spells danger for Burnley, Newcastle and Watford. What a pity they can't convert their chances."
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