Spain boss Vicente del Bosque has said that while 'it will be difficult' for David de Gea to emulate Iker Casillas, the Manchester United goalkeeper has the credentials to do so.
Despite an excellent couple of seasons in the Man United goal, De Gea is still considered second choice behind Porto's Casillas when it comes to international duty.
When asked whether De Gea could match Casillas, Del Bosque has claimed that it is possible despite the long contribution that the current number one has made.
"He has the ability to emulate him, yes. We forget sometimes that he has spent four or five seasons as Manchester United's goalkeeper," Del Bosque told The Guardian.
"And if you look at the other keepers they've had, that's la leche (the business). This is the goal defended by [Peter] Schmeichel, [Edwin] Van der Sar, [Fabian] Barthez: three great goalkeepers.
"And then along comes this kid and, bit by bit, establishes himself. But look, it's very difficult to do what Iker has done, in terms of quality and quantity."
Spain will continue their preparations for Euro 2016 with an international friendly against England on Friday.
Matt Law
