Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson says goalkeeper coach Eric Steele deserves great credit for the form of David De Gea.

Ferguson believes that the Spaniard has now been though the same toughening-up process that Peter Schmeichel endured two ­decades ago.

"I had a couple of chats with David ­myself," said Fergie. "Nothing serious.

"We have to thank our goalkeeping coach Eric Steele for his progress this season.

"Steely kept reminding David that he is a top player and he has responded to the physical part by putting on almost a stone in pure muscle.

"We warned David when he signed what he could expect because it was the same with Schmeichel, who was 27-years-old and a big, strong lad when he came here.

"I remember Peter's first game against Wimbledon, when he was screaming like a dying pig for protection.

"Nothing can prepare keepers for it.

"We do a lot of crossing with the ­goalkeepers in training, but you don't want players crashing into one another in training."