In an interview with YouTube show Cronache, De Gea revealed that he refused to play for other English clubs because of Manchester United.
"During the time of my career, I lived in Madrid and Manchester. When I felt like I wanted to start training again and get back to shape, I started looking for a goalkeeper coach to help me. Someone recommended Craig Ellison, and we worked very well since the first training. During that time, he helped me a lot. I did a lot of training and spent a lot of time together. We talked a lot, and he was a very good person."
"This year was also a very special year for me, because I have been playing at a high level for 15 consecutive years. The rest of this year was very good for me, because I was a little tired at that time. After all, the 13 years spent at Manchester United was not easy, and I thought it was time to take a break. It was also a wonderful year for me to spend with my family, and I had more time to see them than I had ever been a professional player. And my hard training paid off from the beginning when I joined Fiorentina, and I felt like I could still compete at the highest level. "
" I rejected the offer from England because after all these years at a club like Manchester United, you would feel like you don't want to play for other clubs in England. I just wanted to play for Manchester United and did receive some offer from England, but I know that I can't accept playing for other clubs in England. I spent most of my career there, and it was this club that shapes me and gave me a wonderful career. I felt it was time to take a break and then return with a stronger posture. People always asked me, ‘When will you come back?’ I comforted them and said, ‘I’m fine, I’ll be back soon.’ It’s normal for people to have some doubts about my state after a year off, but I’m sure after a game or two I’ll be able to get back to where I used to be.”