Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is delighted with the improvement of David de Gea over the season.

De Gea has bounced back and literally got to grips with the English game to establish himself as the Red Devils No 1.

United boss Ferguson said: "He has stood up as a man.

"He got a grip of it. He didn't let it get to him.

"The boy has improved with every game he has played and now he's got confidence - and confidence is a great factor for footballers.

"He stood up to the situation. He knew it was a challenge. It took him time to adjust to the different ways of the English game as opposed to the Spanish game and he's shown that now."

Ferguson continued: "He has made fantastic improvement, the boy.

"What we expected was his terrific ability to show and that's what we've seen.

"The area in which he has been criticised was really in aerial balls into the box, like the Blackburn game and the last corner kick into the box. He should have dealt with that better.

"He knew that and he has addressed that."