Former Manchester United goalkeeper Massimo Taibi is confident David de Gea will prove his class.

Taibi, now general manager of Italian club Montebello, believes that De Gea has great potential and, given time, can become as good as United legends such as Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar.

"Take it from me, being United's goalkeeper is not easy, but David can still manage it," Taibi told the Daily Express.

"He is only young and has the potential to be world class.

"United want everything and want it straight away. I was only there for a few months, as I made some mistakes and left. But David needs time.

"What I would say to him is to think about United's great keeper, Peter Schmeichel. He didn't have a good start either and look what happened to him.

"David is young, and he did well at Atletico. And I'm sure he will do well at Old Trafford, too. He's one of the best in Europe.

"He should keep cool and people should lay off him. He will have a chance to show his value and has the potential to be a great asset to United for the next 15 years."