Schweinsteiger left De Gea ‘angry’ with response after Man Utd star kept asking him same question
BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER has claimed that Manchester United’s David de Gea was fuming when he told him he wasn’t better than Manuel Neuer.
Schweinsteiger, 38, played alongside De Gea at Man Utd for just under two seasons and recently recounted when the Spaniard asked for his opinion.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Schweinsteiger said: “When I first came to Manchester United De Gea said, ‘Tell me, am I better than Neuer?’
“I was like ‘No, you’re not. It is a different level.’ He was angry, but I explained why.
“Whenever he had a great game he would ask me again, I would still say he wasn’t on that level.”
Four-time Man Utd player of the year De Gea, 32, has been in excellent form for the Red Devils so far this season, despite their disappointing run of results.
But he has often been in Neuer’s shadow throughout his career, with the German winning the IFFHS World’s Best Goalkeeper award five times.
Schweinsteiger and Neuer won three Bundesliga titles together at Bayern Munich, as well as two DFB-Pokals and the 2012-13 Champions League.
They also won the 2014 World Cup with Germany in Brazil with a 1-0 win over Argentina after extra-time in the final, both playing the full 120 minutes.
Schweinsteiger’s spell at Old Trafford was majorly disrupted by injury, with the German making just 18 Premier League appearances between 2015-17.
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The German featured in 17 of United’s first 20 league games under Louis van Gaal, before rupturing his knee ligaments and missing the rest of the season.
When Jose Mourinho replaced van Gaal in summer 2016, Schweinsteiger was then dropped from the first team and forced to train with the reserves.
He made just four appearances for the Red Devils under Mourinho and was shipped off to join MLS side Chicago Fire in March 2017, before retiring in 2019.