Highlights of David de Gea's 'best-ever performance' go viral after Man Utd exit | OneFootball

Footage of David de Gea's 'best performance' in a Manchester United shirt has gone viral after he confirmed that he had left the club after 12 years.

Speculation over the 32-year-old Spaniard's future at Old Trafford has run rampant over the last few months, as the clock ticked down on his £375,000-per-week contract, which expired on June 30.

Reports even suggested he had put pen to paper on a contract extension (on reduced terms) last month - only for United to withdraw the offer at the last minute. However, a source for the Manchester Evening News insisted after De Gea's departure that this was never the case.

De Gea, who joined the Red Devils from Atletico Madrid in 2011 for a fee of £18.9m, put an end to the long-running saga on Saturday afternoon with a post on social media.

De Gea's farewell to Manchester United fans

"I just wanted to send this farewell message to all Manchester United supporters," he wrote.

"I would like to express my unwavering gratitude and appreciation for the love from the last 12 years. We've achieved a lot since my dear Sir Alex Ferguson brought me to this club.

"I took incredible pride every time I pulled on this shirt, to lead the team, to represent this institution, the biggest club in the world was an honour only bestows upon a few lucky footballers.

"It's been an unforgettable and successful period since I came here. I didn't think from leaving Madrid as a young boy we would achieve what we did together.

"Now, it's the right time to undertake a new challenge, to push myself again in new surroundings.

"Manchester will always be in my heart, Manchester has shaped me and will never leave me."

De Gea proved a divisive figure among the United fan base at times during his Old Trafford career, but still managed to win the Premier League, an FA Cup and two League Cups as the club's first-choice shot-stopper.

He also picked up the Premier League's Golden Glove award on two occasions, with the second of those triumphs coming in what would become his final season as a United player.

However, De Gea's proneness to an error is also undeniable. In fact, he racked up so many gaffes in high-profile matches at United that a fan was able to put together a two-hour 'feature-length' film highlighting his mistakes.

When he was at his best, though, De Gea was among the best in the world - and that is how United supporters have chosen to remember his time at the club following his exit.

One fan on Twitter uploaded highlights of De Gea's masterclass during United's 3-1 Premier League victory over Arsenal in December 2017, captioning it as 'the best goalkeeper performance you will ever witness'.

That description is pretty accurate, too. De Gea was a man on a mission at the Emirates, racking up a record 14 saves while denying the likes of Alexandre Lacazette, Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil.

The Gunners had 33 shots to United's eight - and would have strolled to three points on any other day had it not been for De Gea's brilliance.

You can relive his magnificent showing below.

Watch: David de Gea pulls off a record 14 saves in 'best-ever' Man Utd performance

What club will David de Gea move to after leaving Man Utd?

Before his Old Trafford exit was officially confirmed, De Gea had been linked with a £250,000-per-week switch to join Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr.

Per The Metro, the Saudi Pro League is considered to be his most likely destination by bookmakers, followed by a switch to any MLS club.