David de Gea, affectionately dubbed “Edwin Van De Gea” by fans, earned his legendary status for good reason. A world-class goalkeeper who began his journey at Atlético Madrid was polished to greatness while at Manchester United, and now enjoys life between the posts with Fiorentina, de Gea’s story is one of perseverance and passion.
Defying Hyperopia’s Limits: How David de Gea Became a World-Class Goalkeeper
Born to a father with his own goalkeeping legacy, José de Gea, who once stood as Getafe’s shot-stopper, David was raised in a wealthy household where he was showered with love and support. His parents made sure their son had everything he needed to succeed, both on and off the field. From a young age, David displayed versatility and promise, excelling as a midfielder and utility player, comfortable in almost every position—whether in defense, midfield, or attack.
However, by the age of 14, his towering height of 6 feet 4 inches began to slow his pace, forcing him to reconsider his future as an outfield player. It was then that the decision to follow in his father’s footsteps became clear, and David embraced his true calling as a goalkeeper.
This biography takes you through the journey of David de Gea—a remarkable shot-stopper who, despite being diagnosed with hyperopia (farsightedness), defied the odds to rise to the top of the football world. It’s the story of a young boy who transitioned from playing on the field to dominating the goal, all while maintaining his drive, determination, and passion for the sport.
David de Gea Childhood Story – Early Life and Family Background:
For Biography starters, David de Gea Quintana was born on the 7th day of November 1990 in Madrid, Spain, to Jose De Gea (his father), a former goalkeeper and Marivi Quintana (his mother), a housekeeper.
The Spanish Goalkeeper was born when his parents were in their early 40s, and he was the only child of his family.
David de Gea was raised by his wealthy parents, who not only pampered their son but gave him everything he needed as their child.
De Gea, as a young child, had a great love for sports. However, his parents, especially his mum, cared much about a healthy balance between studies and sports.
His family’s wealth afforded him the opportunity to kickstart his football journey at one of Spain’s top youth academies, giving him access to the best resources from an early age.
Career Start:
He started out with La Escuela De Futbol Atletico Casarrubuelos, who are affiliated with Atletico Madrid. Cruz, his old football coach, once flashed a grin that many David De Gea lovers would find hard to believe.
He shared, “Throughout much of his youth career, David excelled as an outfield player until the age of 14, when he transitioned to becoming a goalkeeper.” That’s right—he didn’t start as a goalkeeper from the beginning!
Here, he was only 6 with distinctive bright blond hair, and he was taking photographs with his team.
Have you noticed that David De Gea wasn’t a goalkeeper in his early years?
David also played for his school team at times when needed. The Spaniard showed good qualities as a midfielder and utility player in his youth. When needed, he could play virtually all positions (defence, midfield and attack role). David continued to be an outfield player until the age of 14, the age that defined a turning point in his career.
David de Gea Childhood Story – Early Career Days.
His ever-growing height of 6 ft 4 limited his speed as a footballer. Coupled with the quest to follow his dad’s footsteps, David decided to convert to a goalkeeper for life. Aside from goalkeeping, David also participated in basketball, where he utilized his tall height.
At this time, the Spanish goalkeeper had found his destiny.
Journey To Fame:
By the time he turned 14, De Gea had fully committed to his position as a goalkeeper, solidifying his role on the field. He was part of a team that had won the largest number of youth trophies in Spain. The bulging trophy cabinet at De Gea’s youth team is pictured below. The bulging trophy cabinet at De Gea’s youth team, La Escuela De Futbol Atletico Casarrubuelos.
David De Gea’s youth team trophies.
When the young goalkeeper was ready to face tougher challenges, Atlético Madrid promoted him to their senior team. Thanks to his remarkable talent, De Gea signed his first professional contract, a s a goalkeeper at just 17 years old.
In 2011, David received a career-defining offer from Manchester United, which every aspiring player dreams of. He signed a long-term deal, stepping into the shoes of the legendary Edwin van der Sar after his retirement. De Gea’s outstanding performances at United earned him the nickname “Edwin Van De Gea.”
Again, the Goalkeeper has been a role model to many who follow in his footsteps. Examples of such Goalkeepers are Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez, Arsenal’s David Raya and the Croatian 2022 FIFA World Cup hero Dominik Livakovic. The rest, as they say, is history.
David De Gea Family Life:
To start with, David de Gea’s family background is worth knowing. Generally, he comes from a wealthy home of goalkeepers. His father, Jose de Gea, was an ex-goalkeeper for Getafe known for his super saves.
He was among the first goalkeeper recruited to Getafe during their formation in the 1983–84 season. Both father and son lived and breathed the art of goalkeeping.
David de Gea’s Dad is his best coach because he is very demanding. At Atletico, he was at every game but also every single training session in the rain, wind or snow.
Research has it that David De Gea’s mum, Marivi Quintana, has been a housekeeper all her life. She is remembered for taking good care of her husband and only son/child.
Marivi Quintana is an advocate of an ‘equal balance between education and sports. This she wanted for her son.
As seen in the picture below, both parents are already in their 60s. They had their son in their 40s. Both live in Toledo, a city and municipality in central Spain.
David De Gea Family Background.
David once recalled,
“My mum would call up two, three, four times a week. She always said she was very worried about me. She was always worried about the balance between my studies and sports.
My parents used to drive 50 kilometres every day just to watch me train at Atlético’s facility in the upscale Alarcón area,”.
David De Gea recalled, reflecting on the immense support and dedication his family showed throughout his early career. Generally, the support of his parents has been instrumental to his career and personality. Their leading role is obvious among close friends who knew them.
Introducing Edurne García Almagro:
David De Gea is married to Edurne. The Spaniard was once said to be in a serious long-term relationship with Edurne García Almagro, who is five years older than him.
Edurne, is a Spanish singer, actress, and TV presenter who is known for attending social auditions since her childhood. At the age of 9, she became a member of the Spanish children’s music group Trastos. She gained prominence in late 2005 after participating in the Spanish talent show Operación Triunfo, where she finished in sixth place the following year, in 2006.
They are not married yet, but maybe they will think about it in the future. Everyone who knows them sees them as the perfect couple. David de Gea has never dated any girl except Edurne all through his life. According to her;
“David and I are very, very happy together. I am always there for him despite him being tied up with goalkeeping commitments. He still finds good quality time for me.”
David De Gea’s Love Story with Edurne.
David and Edurne often attend parties and various sports functions together. Indeed, a woman can tell if a man loves her by how much time he is willing to invest. For David, money spent on Edurne is meaningless. It is the time spent that is priceless.
David De Gea spends quality time with his partner, Edurne.
Radamel Falcao, Juan Mata, French legend Antoine Griezmann, and Robert Lewandowski have had love stories similar to those of David de Gea.
David De Gea Eye Defect:
Did you know? De Gea has hyperopia, a medical term for farsightedness. This common refractive error allows him to see distant objects more clearly than those up close. Throughout his life, the Spaniard has typically worn glasses and opts for contact lenses during matches.
David de Gea’s Eye Defect- Why he wears contact lenses.
His career performance has never been affected by his confirmed condition.
His Super Agent:
Jorge Paulo Agostinho Mendes, born on January 7, 1966, is better known as Jorge Mendes, and he is the agent for David De Gea.
David De Gea’s Agent- Jorgie Mendes.
Mendes is among the richest and most influential soccer agents in the world, with big clients like Cristiano Ronaldo, Diego Costa, James Rodríguez, and José Mourinho. Mendes is often referred to as a “super-agent”. He has 102 other footballers as clients and has handled contracts worth the sum of $1 Billion.
David De Gea Biography – His Car:
At the time of writing this Biography piece, De Gea drives a Captiva – an SUV manufactured by Chevrolet ($50.000).
David De Gea’s- Chevrolet.
Unlike Raheem Sterling, he is not used to having a fleet of cars, one for each day of the week. David is a simple man who is very much comfortable with his Chevrolet Captiva.
David De Gea House:
De Gea’s house is valued at £2.75m. The picture is revealed below.
David De Gea Mansion.
His Oldest Friend:
David’s oldest friend is no other person than Kun Aguero.
David De Gea’s old friendship with Kun Aguero.
He got on really well with Kun during their time at Athletico Madrid. Both shared a room together back then. Not because they couldn’t afford different homes, but because of the close friendship shared among themselves.
One of David De Gea’s oldest Career friends.
Back then at Athletico, when David caught a cross, his first instinct was to make a quick pass or throw to set Kun away from any of his teammates on the pitch.
David de Gea Hair Style Facts:
The Manchester United Legend was once renowned for his extraordinary mohawk hairstyle.
Having hair completely shaved from each side is something that has become common among Manchester United fans, thanks to David de Gea. It appears more descent than following Paul Pogba, as this Manchester United fan below suggests.
Manchester United Fan Copies David De Gea’s Hairstyle.
