Skip to Main NavigationSkip to content
Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea has recently ventured into the esports world by setting up his own team, under the name of Rebels Gaming.
Already an avid player of video games in his spare time off the pitch, our no.1 took his enthusiasm a stage further last November when he became the founder and president of the Madrid-based outfit.
Just last month, the team’s first-ever headquarters opened in the Spanish capital with a state-of-the-art complex for the players to train, play and hang out.
David invited us to have a look around the facility and have a chat about his newest project, in a full interview which you can read in the May edition of our monthly magazine, Inside United, on sale now.
“A year and a half [ago] I was talking with Jose, one of the guys I trust and work with,” said De Gea, during our exclusive chat.
“He knows I am in love with video games, so we were talking about making our own club.
“So that’s how it started. We started step by step, we made Rebels, so we are really proud.”
As well as explaining how the team was founded, David also told us about his involvement and how he tries to help his esports players with the experience that he has gained within his football career.
Pointing to one of his own quotes on the wall – “I take situations calmly on and off the field” – he said:
“I am trying to show them that this is my experience in football. There are some words there, we put them there to show to the players – be calm, take things calmly.
“Of course, the pressure is always there. It doesn’t matter if it’s a video game or if it’s football – if you are competing, the pressure is always there.
“So, you have to deal with the pressure and always be very strong in the mind.”
David is clearly passionate about gaming and his ambitious mindset developed between the sticks is something that transfers over to the virtual phenomenon. As well as providing entertainment for supporters across the globe with his team, our goalkeeper is striving for Rebels to become among the elite in their field.
“We want to make a proper brand, where people like the brand, and of course try to put the teams in Europe to compete with the best teams,” De Gea added.
“And then we like the entertainment part of this business as well. So, we are building some entertainment for the people, the fans, to enjoy.
“But we will try to be one of the best teams in Europe as well.”