David de Gea bid an emotional farewell to Manchester United and their fans after 12 seasons at the club.

De Gea and United confirmed their expected parting of ways yesterday afternoon with both the player and club posting messages of appreciation.

The Spaniard posted on Instagram: “I just wanted to send this farewell message to all Manchester United supporters.

“I would like to express my unwavering gratitude and appreciation for the love from the last 12 years. We’ve achieved a lot since my dear Sir Alex Ferguson brought me to this club –Manchester will always be in my heart, Manchester has shaped me and will never leave me.”

On the club website, United paid tribute to “one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of the club.”

De Gea first joined United in 2011, when Sir Alex Ferguson was still manager at Old Trafford. He won his first Premier League title with the club in 2012-13, Ferguson’s final campaign at the helm.

The Spanish international had been linked with moves away in the past. He came close to leaving for Real Madrid during the summer of 2015, only for the LaLiga club to blame fax machine issues for the deal falling apart at the eleventh hour.