Both Peter Schmeichel and David de Gea experienced first-hand what it was like to train under legendary former Manchester United goalkeeping coach Eric Steele.
Eric Steele first worked with Peter Schmeichel when he was at Aston Villa during the tail end of the legendary former Manchester United shot-stopper’s playing career.
The 72-year-old would later make the switch to Old Trafford and became a key part of the United coaching staff under iconic former manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Steele, much like he did with Schmeichel, worked closely with David de Gea, but Man Utd’s former coach is all too familiar with new summer signing Karl Darlow.
WHO will be Man Utd’s THIRD midfielder signing to go with Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans? Who do you want?
Which midfielder do you think would fit United's rebuild best? What do we need next?
Eric Steele has a history with Peter Schmeichel and David de Gea, but even he refused to play down his experience with Karl Darlow
Karl Darlow has become the latest Manchester United signing at Old Trafford this summer after Ineos snapped up the experienced shot-stopper on a free transfer.
Eric Steele’s history with Darlow extends all the way back to youth level after the new Man Utd star was part of the Aston Villa youth academy.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s former key Man Utd figure could not have been more complimentary of Darlow, despite working with the likes of Peter Schmeichel and David de Gea.
“Karl was 10 when I first started working with him,” Steele told The Athletic in 2020.
“Everyone always wants to talk to me about working with Peter Schmeichel and David de Gea, but working with the Karl Darlows of this world gives me just as much satisfaction.
“We’d spotted him at a young age, worked at his game, played him the year above to help him improve, and I knew he had a good chance of making it.”
Darlow never featured for Aston Villa’s first team, but Steele’s reaction spoke volumes after the goalkeeping talent had been allowed to leave Villa Park.
“When he told me the club were releasing some players, I never even considered it’d be Karl,” he added.
“I said, ‘You’re kidding me?’ We’d worked so hard with Karl and we’d seen a massive improvement in all his techniques. It didn’t make any sense.”
Andrey Santos to Man Utd is COMPLETE: How do you feel about the deal now Youri Tielemans is signing too?
Karl Darlow has become the latest example of Ineos correcting Man Utd’s mistakes from the past
Darlow has been brought to Old Trafford as a back-up option for Senne Lammens and to even challenge the Man Utd No 1, however unlikely that might seem.
The former Leeds United and Newcastle player’s arrival at the Premier League club essentially marks the end of the run for Altay Bayindir at Old Trafford this summer.
Altay Bayindir is expected to leave the Premier League side after the 28-year-old Turkish shot-stopper had disappointed during his spell with Man Utd.
A former Man Utd signing made under ex-football director John Murtough and ex-chief executive Richard Arnold, Bayindir is an example of past transfer mistakes.
Ineos are on a course-correcting strategy since taking control of football operations at Old Trafford and continue to ‘fix’ haunting reminders of Man Utd’s history.
Darlow has plenty of experience under his belt at clubs like Nottingham Forest, Newcastle and Leeds and feels like a big upgrade on Bayindir’s role at Man Utd.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
