David De Gea has left Manchester United after 12 years.
The Spanish goalkeeper announced his decision to leave the club on social media earlier on Saturday.
Following months of speculation over his future, De Gea, 32, was always a candidate to leave the club this summer.
Despite being offered a new deal, which, according to The Athletic, he signed before seeing the club withdraw it and return with an even lower salary offer, the former Spain international has opted against renewing and will now sound out a new challenge before inevitable retirement.
Updating his 14-and-a-half million followers on Saturday afternoon, the 32-year-old shot-stopper said: “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. We’ve seen it all.”
And becoming the first player to break his silence on his former number one’s shock announcement, midfielder and possibly soon-to-be club captain Bruno Fernandes took to his own social media and said: “You deserved to say goodbye at the stadium with all the fans cheering you for all the beautiful memories.”
And after being at the club for 12 years and being the last serving player to have played under legendary former boss Sir Alex Ferguson, it is hard to disagree with Fernandes.
De Gea, who, after featuring in 545 games, is now the Red Devils’ highest-appearing goalkeeper, surpassing Peter Schmeichel and Alex Stepney respectively. The veteran keeper kept 190 clean sheets during his time with the club and lifted eight major trophies, including the 2012-13 Premier League and last season’s Carabao Cup.