legend Gary Neville has named David de Gea, and Fred as the club’s best players in the 2021-22 season, with the shot-stopper grabbing top spot.
United fans are currently voting for the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award, and invited several former Red Devils to share their view on who should take the prize.
Former club captain Neville was among those asked and he believes there was only one choice in a largely underwhelming and disappointing campaign for United.
He said: ‘How many times has David De Gea won it since Sir Alex [Ferguson] left? I’m going to go for De Gea, to be honest with you.
‘The only other two I could think of would be Fred and Ronaldo. We’d be in dire straits without Ronaldo’s goals but I think, without De Gea, we’d be dead!
‘I could say Ronaldo… Who’s the favourite, is it Ronaldo? I’d go De Gea, Ronaldo, then Fred, in that order.’
Overall, it was a very disappointing season for United, who finished trophyless and sixth in the table with their lowest-ever points tally in the Premier League era.
While United’s defence was often shambolic, without De Gea it could have been much worse, with the goalkeeper making 128 saves in the league, the third-highest behind only Leeds’ Illan Meslier and Leicester’s Kasper Schmeichel.
Ronaldo’s much-hyped return to Old Trafford did not produce any silverware but the forward still managed to score 24 goals in 38 games, despite turning 37 during the season.
Midfielder Fred, meanwhile, had his best campaign in England and proved his worth after years of being a much-derided and much-mocked player at the club.
The winner of the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award is set to be announced sometime next week.
If Ronaldo triumphs, he will equal De Gea’s record of four wins, having previously won the award in 2004, 2007 and 2008, while De Gea’s victories in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018 have established him as the best player of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
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