Football
Dermot CorriganRichard Jolly 8y

Spain's Iker Casillas may settle for role behind David De Gea - Del Bosque

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has suggested that long-serving La Roja captain Iker Casillas would be content to go to the summer's European Championship as backup to Manchester United's David De Gea.

Having left Real Madrid last summer, Casillas, 34, is currently playing regularly for Porto, but he has been criticised in the Portuguese media after a number of high-profile mistakes -- including a "butter fingers" headline after a mistake in a recent 1-0 loss to Vitoria Guimares.

Meanwhile, De Gea, 25, has been hugely impressive for United over the last couple of seasons, coming through a difficult spot as he almost joined Madrid as Casillas' replacement last summer, and putting in a string of impressive performances such as during early January's 1-0 win at Liverpool.

Over the last two years Del Bosque has rotated his senior international goalkeepers, with Casillas playing more of the team's competitive games, although De Gea did start and kept a clean sheet in the potentially tricky Euro qualifier in Ukraine last October.

The Spain coach, who first met a teenage Casillas when they were together at Madrid in the late 1990s, told TV show El Hormiguero that the ex-Los Blancos player was "living history" while suggesting the model professional would do what was best for the team.

"[Iker] would like to go to the Euros, even as a substitute," Del Bosque said. "He is a unique player, has been so many years with the national team that he is living history in this sport. He gives a perfect example of the Spanish player of this era, always behaving well and representing the success of these years."

The veteran coach, 65, guided Spain to success at the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 but was also in charge during their group-stage exit at the World Cup in Brazil in 2014. He said it would be normal for him to step down from the position after next summer's tournament, without -- not for the first time -- confirming that he would definitely leave.

"Normally yes, that would be healthy for everyone, for the team, the federation, and for myself," he replied when asked about ending his term in charge. "They have been eight very intense years with a lot of responsibility. I feel very good and would like to continue, but it has been many years. We will wait and see, there is still time to make the best decision."

Meanwhile, Del Bosque has said it is "incredible" how Victor Valdes' time at United unravelled.

Goalkeeper Valdes joined Standard Liege for the rest of the season on Sunday, ending his career at Old Trafford - where his contract expires in the summer - after just two appearances.

The 34-year-old was a member of the Spain squads Del Bosque managed to victory in the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 but the former Real Madrid coach said it is too soon to think about an international recall for the former Barcelona goalkeeper.

Valdes has only made two first-team appearances in 22 months since suffering a cruciate ligament injury on what proved his final Barcelona appearance in March 2014.

After joining United as De Gea's deputy, he appeared in the final two games of last season, but was denied a squad number, a place on the preseason tour or the chance to train with the first-team after manager Louis van Gaal accused him of refusing to play for the club's reserves, a claim Valdes denied.

And Del Bosque told reporters: "At this moment, while thinking about Victor, more than thinking about whether he can return to the national team, the first thing I think about is that he can start playing again.

"Everyone with a little common sense wants Victor to be playing, to be active, because what has happened to him is incredible.

"What bad luck, when he was one of the great goalkeepers out there. It is truly a case of very bad luck."

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