De Gea's Emotional Old Trafford Farewell After 1-1 Draw

Fiorentina goalkeeper David De Gea was finally given an Old Trafford farewell two years after he left Manchester United and 12 months after he joined Fiorentina , ahead of the friendly between the two sides in England on Saturday.

Fiorentina and Manchester United played out a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in a pre-season friendly on Saturday afternoon, which was followed up by a penalty shoot-out in front of the Stretford End.

Prior to kick-off, though, De Gea was given a warm reception from United, who paid tribute to the Spaniard with a special on-pitch presentation in recognition of his 545 competitive matches in Manchester.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – AUGUST 09: David de Gea of Fiorentina acknowledges the fans as he leaves the pitch following a substitution during the pre-season friendly match between Manchester United and ACF Fiorentina at Old Trafford on August 09, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images)

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was invited onto the Old Trafford pitch to present his old friend and former colleague with a framed photograph while the United players stood and applauded behind them.

A final farewell for De Gea #mufc pic.twitter.com/AeXt16JgoT — Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) August 9, 2025

Once a Red, always a Red ❤️ 🧬 @D_DeGea pic.twitter.com/P6qRtzgdEP — Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 9, 2025

De Gea, who took a year out of the game after being unceremoniously replaced by former Inter stopper Andre Onana two summers ago.

The 34-year-old then joined Fiorentina on a free transfer in the summer of 2024, and has impressed so much with his performances in Serie A, that he has been handed a new contract extension that ties him to the club until the summer of 2028, at which stage he will be 37 years of age.