David de Gea has been backed after his blunder in Friday’s World Cup opener against Portugal.
Having firmly established himself as Spain’s number 1 ‘keeper over the last few years, and arguably the best in the world, the Manchester United star uncharacteristicly failed to deal with a seemingly straight forward Cristiano Ronaldo strike.
The ball was fired straight at the Spaniard, but he took his eye on the ball, and it bounced off his hands before trundling into the back of the net.
However, Spain assistant manager Carlos Marchena has backed his goalkeeper to recover from his mistake, saying he has a ‘broad back’:
“As the master Luis Aragones said, De Gea has a broad back,” said Marchena.
“These accidents can happen, but he has all the confidence of the group and the coach [Fernando Hierro].
“David is well and prepared for what is coming.“