David de Gea has vowed to learn after failing to score the crucial penalty in Manchester United’s Europa League final shootout against Villarreal, but hinted at remaining at Old Trafford.
An enthralling penalty shootout saw all 22 players who ended extra-time take a spot-kick. Each of the first 21 penalties were scored before De Gea had his effort denied by Geronimo Rulli.
The save meant that Villarreal won their first-ever major trophy and earned head coach Unai Emery a fourth Europa League title. His previous successes had come during a three-year domination of the tournament with Sevilla between 2014 and 2016.
It was a shootout that the previous 120 minutes had scarcely deserved. A drab game ended 1-1, with Edinson Cavani equalising 10 minutes into the second half after Gerard Moreno had opened the scoring.
Cavani’s goal was the 17th of an impressive first season in a United shirt. The Uruguayan recently signed a one-year extension to tie him down at Old Trafford until 2022.
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“To fall and rise. Learn from the experience, fight again and win. @ManUtd Thanks for your support,” De Gea tweeted on Thursday, alongside a picture of him accompanied by Sir Alex Ferguson in the aftermath of his miss.
The former United boss, who signed De Gea as a 20-year-old in 2011, reportedly comforted the goalkeeper in the tunnel of the Municipal Stadium in Gdansk.
De Gea has now not saved any of the last 35 penalties he has faced, including spot-kicks in shootouts.
Boss Solskjaer confirmed he considered that record but chose not to replace De Gea with Henderson at the end of extra-time.
“You go through every scenario, of course, and it [De Gea’s penalty record] had crossed my mind in the build-up to the game but we were confident in David and prepared,” the Norwegian said.
“Anything can happen in a penalty shootout. I stuck with the keeper who played all of the game.
“I’ve got to say the penalty shootout was high quality, but we didn’t do enough in the 120 minutes to score more goals and that’s the disappointing bit.
“We had pressure, we had moments where we felt if we can just kick on a little bit now we can get a goal. But we just couldn’t.”