The Manchester United goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard has said that he still hopes to be the number one choice at the club, despite the manager Sir Alex Ferguson favouring the Spaniard David de Gea in recent weeks. Lindegaard arrived at the club just under three seasons ago.
Due to the poor form of the £ 18 million signing de Gea, Ferguson had opted a rotation policy amongst the goalkeepers. This led to Lindegaard having regular games at Old Trafford, and he has so far not disappointed. However, Ferguson recently said that the goalkeeper rotation does not create consistency within the team.
This statement has been subsequently followed by importance to de Gea in recent matches. The Spaniard has been the first choice for United over the last few months. After playing a number of matches in the first half of the season, Lindegaard has made just one appearance in the FA Cup win over West Ham. It is getting extremely hard for Lindegaard to force himself back into the first-team reckoning due to the excellent performances of de Gea in recent matches, but the 28-year-old is not giving up hope. He has recalled how he managed to establish himself at United despite being a small fish in a big pond.
“I certainly feel that my time here has been a success. I joined as a small fish in a big pond, and you have to be very strong not to get lost in that environment. I’ve had spells where I’ve been first-choice goalkeeper, which far exceeded my expectations, but that does not mean I am satisfied. Personally, I feel that I still haven’t achieved my dream at United. I want to be a regular in the team, playing every time and delivering in the big games. That’s my objective, and I’ve only partially fulfilled that,” said Lindegaard.