'I didn't want to coach De Gea any more' - Ex-Man Utd goalkeeper coach left after fallout with 'disloyal' Old Trafford No 1

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Emilio Alvarez has played down suggestions that he was released from his role at Old Trafford, stating that it was his own decision to go

Former Manchester United goalkeeping coach Emilio Alvarez has revealed that he left the club following a fallout with David De Gea over the player's future, after the shotstopper put pen to paper on a new deal at Old Trafford.

The 48-year-old has played down suggestions that he was released from his role at Carrington, instead revealing that his exit came down to personal and professional differences with the Spaniard between the sticks.

De Gea extended his stay with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side last September, signing a new four-year contract that will keep him in Manchester until 2023, potentially taking him up to a dozen years with the Red Devils.

Alvarez was brought onboard at United under previous manager Jose Mourinho, having previously mentored De Gea at Atletico Madrid - but the former has now opened up on his United exit, stating that De Gea's decision to agree fresh terms behind his back was what forced his exit.

"It's not true that Manchester United relieved me of my duties," he told AS. "In fact, once De Gea renewed, United put an offer on the table for me. It was me who asked to meet with the club so I could tell them I wanted to leave the club.

"It was at this meeting they asked me to renew. I told them I was going but not because I wanted to leave United. I wanted to stop coaching De Gea.

"Aside from being his mentor at Atletico Madrid, where I backed him strongly, I was the person who convinced him to sign for United. I was his right-hand man in Manchester.

"I came to United thanks to the great work of Jorge Mendes and because Mourinho wanted to sign me to help David develop and to keep him at the club. At that moment, he wanted to leave United.

"After almost three years with lots of work and meetings with United to renew him and to make him the best paid player in the world, I learned that he had renewed behind my back. Honestly, it felt like a lack of loyalty.

"During negotiations, he also had a falling out with the person who had carried out all the talks in order for him to be paid what he was paid. At the last minute, someone else meddled. I insisted that I didn't like that because it seemed disloyal.

"I asked David why he didn't say anything to me and he said that he was told not to say anything to anybody. This had an impact on me. The way I understand my profession is that you can't help someone develop if you do not have total confidence with them and that's why I decided to leave United."

2020-07-14 23:00:09

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