David de Gea breaks silence on controversial Man Utd exit after making long-awaited Old Trafford return with Fiorentina

After 12 years at Old Trafford which delivered 545 appearances and four Player of the Year awards, De Gea was released by the Red Devils as a free agent when reaching the end of his contract.

United went on to sign Cameroon international Andre Onana, who has endured an error-strewn spell in English football, with questions asked of whether De Gea - who is still just 34 years of age - should have been retained.

De Gea is reluctant to be drawn into that debate and, after facing United with current employers Fiorentina in a pre-season friendly, told reporters when asked if he feels disappointed at how things ended for him in England: "No. Sometimes football is like it is, you can't control everything. I've been here [United] 12 years, very, very nice, it's one of the best periods of my life.

"Playing for this club is just unbelievable, especially when you leave the club, you realise how big is the club, how difficult it was to be 12 years in a club like United. I'm always grateful for this club, for everyone, it's been an amazing journey. It's been a long time since I've been back here so it's been a special day, of course."

De Gea took a year off after leaving United and admits to having considered retirement before returning to the professional ranks in Italy with Serie A giants Fiorentina. He added: "There's always these things coming to your mind but I was feeling good, I trained again, I was feeling ready to go again.

"Fiorentina gave me the opportunity to play. I'm feeling very, very good there. It's like a family, I'm feeling great, the city is amazing, the club is great. You see today we can play against top teams like United, so hopefully this year we can make something special as well."

United played out a 1-1 draw with Fiorentina at Old Trafford, before prevailing 5-4 in a penalty shootout. De Gea enjoyed an emotional reunion with former employers and is now tied to a contract in Florence through to 2028.