What makes a Man United goalkeeper with Eric Steele
Talk of the Devils: The Athletic FC's Manchester United show
The Athletic
4.6 • 771 Ratings
🗓️ 18 February 2026
⏱️ 74 minutes
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Summary
Eric Steele was Manchester United goalkeeping coach for five years under Sir Alex Ferguson. Talk of the Devils is delighted to welcome him to our studio for a wide-ranging discussion with a man who has coached some of the best goalkeepers in football.
From his own slightly unorthodox arrival at the club to the scouting, transfer, and management of David de Gea as Edwin van der Sar's replacement, he oversaw a fascinating time for keepers at Old Trafford.
He also worked alongside current interim head coach Michael Carrick, of course, and was a colleague of Carrick's assistant, Steve Holland, in the England setup. There's a strong Geordie connection with Carrick as well, and many more stories from an incredible career in the game.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Athletic FFC |
| 0:03.1 | FC |
| 0:03.1 | Hello and welcome to Talk the Devils Extra. We've got Laurie and we've got Andy with us, |
| 0:27.1 | but we also have a very special guest. We've got Eric Steele here in the studio on Talk |
| 0:31.9 | the Devils and Eric works with Sir Alex Ferguson as goalkeeping coach for five years, was it |
| 0:37.0 | I think in the end. |
| 0:37.7 | You worked with the likes of Peter Smykel, Edwin van der Saar, David DeHia. Had a big hand in bringing DeHia to Old Trafford as well. So brilliant to have you with us. Thank you for coming in. Thank you for the invite. I hope you can understand the Geordie accent. That's you anything. Yeah, we can. It's fine. Laurie, it's your idea |
| 0:53.7 | and you've actually given Eric a lift in |
| 0:55.6 | you've interviewed, you've been interviewed by |
| 0:57.7 | Laurie before yeah we can it's fine Laurie it's your idea and you've actually given Eric a lift in |
| 0:55.6 | you've interviewed |
| 0:56.5 | you've been interviewed by Laurie before |
| 0:58.4 | and he's not changed by all accounts |
| 1:00.3 | no he interviewed him in the car |
| 1:01.8 | it was just as soon as we got in the car |
| 1:03.9 | has he got a list of questions on the dashboard |
| 1:05.8 | well the thing |
| 1:07.2 | listen okay one thing happened |
| 1:09.4 | we drove through the you know from Wilmslow Eric to my house. He saw three generations of Whitwell because we had the kids and we had my dad picking up, you know, my lads. So it was all chaotic anyway. I wonder you said it was full on. You won't remember these. You remember the Waltons? He used to be a program in America. It was literally the dynasty all the way through. goodnight grandpa good night granddad I walked in the Whitwell Well the thing is |
| 1:31.0 | I said program in America. It was literally the dynasty all the way through. Good night, grandpa, |
| 1:28.1 | good night, granddad. It was like, I walked in the Whitwell. Well, the thing is, I said to Eric, |
| 1:31.8 | listen, if you can make it maybe for half nine, you know, get ahead of the traffic, we can get it into the studio. It turns up but nine, doesn't he? So I'm like, you know, scrambling. But obviously, There's a reason why you turn up early, isn't there, Eric? |
... |
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