I've never seen a goalkeeper reach that level in every game

From 2014 to 2016, Hoek worked under Louis van Gaal as Manchester United's goalkeeping coach. The Spaniard [referring to De Gea] has been a free agent for a while now, and there are even rumors that he's considering retirement. 'That would be a huge loss for football,' Hoek told The Guardian about his former protégé. 'On the other hand, we can't see inside his head; we don't know how he feels or what he thinks.'

However, Hoek would advise top clubs to work with De Gea. 'He was always very fit, and there was nothing to criticize about his attitude. He always did what he had to do, and he did it at a high level. He saved many points for the team. I've never seen a goalkeeper reach that level in every game.'

The latter years of De Gea at United were notably less impressive. However, Hoek still has great respect for the goalkeeper. 'He has played at the absolute top for twelve years. And we all know the pressure that exists at Manchester United. I never experienced him playing poorly or making many mistakes. With us, he also always had to make the decision himself. We wanted to build up from the back, but if that wasn't possible, he was always allowed to play long balls.'