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DETROIT – Manchester United goalkeeper Lee Grant is keen to give Jose Mourinho “a decision to make” and challenge David De Gea for the No. 1 spot at Old Trafford.
Grant, 35, signed from Stoke in a £2 million deal this summer and is well aware how difficult it will be to play any games at all with De Gea and Sergio Romero already at Old Trafford, but he insisted he did not join just to make up the numbers.
“My job is just to hold up my end of the bargain,” he said. “I’ve been bought by Manchester United so my role is to perform at a high level and to conduct myself in the correct manner. That means training correctly, playing correctly when you get the opportunity and if that gives the manager a choice to make then that’s my job.
“Whether that means sitting on the bench or not sitting on the bench, whether I’m playing in the cup games, or not playing in the cup games, I’m ready and willing to do what I need to do.
“I’m not under any illusions about what presents itself here. I’m excited by it and looking forward to the opportunity.
“I don’t need to have a conversation with the manager. I’m old enough and ugly enough to understand the role I’m coming in to do. I’m at a football club that has the best goalkeeper in the Premier League on the books.
“Also a club that has Argentina’s No.1 goalkeeper on the books and there are also fantastic young goalkeepers in the building and fantastic young goalkeepers out on loan.
“I know what I have to contend with but I’m confident in myself, I’m settled with my own role within all of that and I’m also certain I can offer something to the football club. That’s what I’m here to do.”
Grant spent time at Derby, Burnley, Oldham and Sheffield Wednesday during an 18-year year playing career before getting the call from United, the club he supported as a boy.
He starred in the Premier League for Stoke during the 2016-17 season, including a stunning performance in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford, before collecting the club’s player of the year award.
And despite being an England under-21 international, Grant said he thought he chance in the top-flight might never come before his move to Stoke in 2016.
“You get to the stage where you think you may have missed out on the opportunity,” he said. “Certainly, the last two years at Stoke, gave me the platform to showcase my ability at the highest level. Coming here is obviously the next level again.
“There’s no doubt about that, really, you’re talking about one of the biggest clubs in the world. I’m proud to be here.”
Grant has the chance to line up in a United shirt against Liverpool and Real Madrid before the end of the U.S. tour before another glamour friendly against Bayern in Munich next weekend.
And for a goalkeeper who watched Les Sealey, Jim Leighton and Peter Schmeichel growing up, there is only one way he can describe his summer.
“It’s a dream come true, you can’t say it any other way to be honest,” he said. “I loved watching all of those guys and I’m excited now to hopefully have an opportunity play for the football club and in some small way be a part of it.”
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