Rio Ferdinand has revealed he would take David de Gea over Peter Schmeichel when asked to pick between two of Manchester United's greatest goalkeepers.
De Gea has carved out a reputation as one of Europe's top goalkeepers with his performances for United, with his impressive display in the club's 1-0 win over Tottenham on January 13 reminding supporters of his value.
The Spaniard's contract at Old Trafford expires in 2020 but reports have suggested that he is now willing to commit to a new deal following Jose Mourinho's sacking from the club.
The former Atletico Madrid goalkeeper initially struggled after his £19 million ($24m) move to England back in 2011, with a string of dodgy displays leading many to believe he was not capable of being United's No.1.
He has, however, developed into one of the club's most important players, winning their Player of the Year award for three seasons in a row from 2013 to 2016.
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De Gea again claimed the award last season during a fine individual campaign that helped United finish second in the Premier League table, while he also secured the Golden Glove after keeping 18 clean sheets in the league.
Despite De Gea's credentials, Schmeichel, who won five league titles, as well as the Champions League in what was his final appearance for the club in 1999, is still considered one of the best goalkeepers in the club's history.
He made a total of 398 appearances for the Red Devils in all competitions, even scoring a goal on one occasion, in a UEFA Cup meeting with Rotor Volgograd in 1995.
But Ferdinand, who spent 12 years at Old Trafford, is adamant that he would take De Gea over the Dane.
When picking between the two on Twitter, he wrote: "Big shout but I'm going De Gea."
Schmeichel did have support from one his former team-mates in Andy Cole, however, with the ex-United striker telling BT Sport he would take the former Manchester City and Aston Villa goalkeeper over De Gea.
The Spain international and United are in action against Brighton on Saturday when they will hope to jump above Arsenal into fifth in the table, with the Gunners facing Chelsea in the 17.30 GMT kick-off later in the day.
