Vidic backs De Gea to be a star at United

By FOX SPORTS Staff

De Gea, who signed for United from Atletico Madrid last season, has not yet managed to convince the Old Trafford faithful that he is the right man to take over as the number one in goal, with the Spaniard making several high-profile errors during his time at the club so far.

However, it was the 22-year-old's heroics in goal last weekend which helped his side secure a vital three points as the Red Devils eked out a slender 1-0 win over Fulham.

Vidic claims that it was no surprise to see De Gea perform so well for United against the Cottagers and predicted that the Spaniard would mature into a world-class goalkeeper in time.

"I think it's hard for David because Edwin van der Sar was here for many years and set a high standard," Vidic told MUTV. 

"Edwin was an experienced goalkeeper and it's hard to replace him.

"David is a young goalkeeper, he's 21. He's maybe made one or two mistakes but that's normal, everyone does that. I think people should have more understanding for that.

"David's had some great games and I'm sure the more games he plays, the better he will become, no doubt."

The Red Devils have been in superb form this season; Sir Alex Ferguson's men have amassed an incredible 62 points from 25 Premier League games and could extend their lead in the table over nearest challengers Manchester City to 12 points with a win over Everton on Sunday.

However, Vidic has urged his team-mates not to bother about the commanding lead they currently hold over City in the table and instead concentrate on winning each game as it comes.

"I think at this stage of the season we cannot think about what will happen in two or three weeks, you have to think about the next game," Vidic added.

"This is the standard we try to set for ourselves and the new players coming in have to follow that. 

"It's vital. Everton is a really, really important game for us. It's like a final, definitely."

Vidic also acknowledged the importance of his side picking up all three points against a 'tough' Fulham side last weekend.

"It was a big win, a massive win," Vidic reflected. 

"If you look at the results over the last few weeks, they've been going well for us. We knew how important it was to keep that going at Fulham.

"The players gave everything in that game because it's not easy to play against Fulham.

"At home, they are a really dangerous team, a tough team to play against. It was vital for us to get three points at this stage of the season and good for the confidence."

United and their next Premier League opponents Everton played out a thrilling 4-4 draw in last season's corresponding fixture.