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Published 17:19 26 Oct 2018 BST
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Anyone of a certain will recall the undeniable genius of Matt Le Tissier at Southampton. He was utterly beguiling and there hasn't been a player like him since. Indeed it was Barcelona great Xavi who gushed: "His talent was simply out of the norm. He could simply dribble past seven or eight players but without speed - he just walked past them. For me he was sensational." The only bone of contention? It was at Southampton.
Again, that is no criticism of a fine club, but the question outside of the south coast was always, why not make that step up and prove yourself at a higher level? Why not grace a stage more befitting of your outrageous skills? An accusation that always plagued the Guernsey magician was that he lacked ambition. It ignored the fact that he was such a brave player who always demanded the ball and took on so much responsibility at the Saints.
Still there lingers the hypothetical of what could have been, had Le Tissier moved to a Liverpool or Manchester United, or even to one the continent's big glamour clubs. Such whimsies are redundant now, but not so for De Gea. If you were advising the only world-class player (on form) of his current club, would you honestly prescribe a prolonged stay at United? Like any well-behaved captive of misfortune, hasn't he now done his time?
De Gea still has years ahead of him as a top-flight goalkeeper, and he should rightfully spend them collecting as many prestige honours as he possibly can, to make up for lost time. Or he could continue to perform largely pointless miracles for his current club, surrounded by underperforming talents and sub-standard players trying their best. Even United fans know in their hearts that he's a bit wasted at their club at present.Sport

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