Former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen has claimed that goalkeeper David de Gea is currently the "most important player" at the club.

The Spaniard continued his impressive start to the season on Tuesday night, making a late save to help the Red Devils beat Stoke City 2-1 in the Premier League.

Following a shaky start to his career at Old Trafford back in 2011, Meulensteen believes that the 24-year-old has adapted well to English football.

"De Gea's the most important player at the moment at United. He has made so many incredible saves. We always knew he had that in his game and now he has really settled into the Premier League," he told Sky Sports News.

"He was a young kid when he came to the league. He's still young and it takes time. It takes three seasons and what he has done is matured and grown into the Premier League. He knows now what to expect and you can see how he performs."

De Gea has kept four clean sheets in 15 games for United so far this season.