De Gea snubs applause of new Spain Prime Minister Sanchez as 'revenge' for sex assault claims

Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea snubbed an applause of Spain's new Prime Minister.

De Gea, who will lead his country into the World Cup as No.1 choice stopper this month, kept his hands in his pockets as socialist leader Pedro Sanchez visited the team.

Sanchez criticised the 27-year-old two years ago when he was implicated in sex assault claims De Gea always denied any involvement in.

At the time, Sanchez said in an interview: “I don’t feel comfortable with De Gea as the national team’s goalkeeper.”

De Gea kept his hands in his pockets throughout the meeting [Photo: Courtesy]

Footage taken of his visit on Tuesday to Las Rozas, the Spain squad’s pre-World Cup base in Madrid, showed his teammates applauding the politician while De Gea stared ahead with a serious look on his face and his hands deep in his pockets.

Sanchez, who recently replaced Mariano Rajoy as Spain’s new PM after winning a no-confidence motion he proposed, had just wished the footballers good luck and urged them to return from Russia as winners in a short address.

De Gea refused to applaud the new Spanish PM [Photo: Courtesy]

De Gea appeared to be the only one of the players present who failed to applaud his country’s new PM.

He was seen shaking Sanchez’s hand before the politician’s speech, although with a stern look on his face which contrasted with the smiles of his teammates.

And he kept his hands in his pockets and stayed on the edge of the group as the the socialist leader posed for pictures with the squad with a Spain football top bearing his name.

Sanchez visited the Spanish team on Tuesday [Photo: Courtesy]

Spanish media were quick to claim De Gea had deliberately snubbed Sanchez.

Respected online daily El Español wrote: “De Gea ignores and doesn’t applaud Pedro Sanchez two years after he ‘accused’ him of child abuse.”

Sports daily Marca said: “David De Gea was cold and distant with the Spanish PM.”

Another well-read Spanish news website branded the incident: “David De Gea’s revenge against Pedro Sanchez.”

The United goalie was linked in 2016 to an under-age prostitution ring allegedly involving a Spanish porn director.

An unnamed prostitute accused him of organising a sex party with the porn director at a five-star Madrid hotel in 2012 where she says two footballers physically and sexually abused her and another woman.

Spain's team were delivered a speech by Sanchez before they head out to Russia [Photo: Courtesy]

Reports at the time said she also claimed the goalie subsequently tried to set up an orgy with him and four United teammates.

De Gea took time out of his Euro 2016 preparation to brand the reports as lies.

His girlfriend Edurne Garcia also stood by him throughout.

It later emerged the woman’s allegations were false and De Gea and another well-known Spanish player she tried to implicate - were not called to give evidence by an investigating judge.

De Gea has been training with the Spain team ahead of the World Cup [Photo: Courtesy]

As well as admitting he did not feel comfortable with De Gea in goal for Spain, Sanchez also said at the time: “I respect the presumption of innocence but above all, you have to put yourself in the shoes of the victim.”

De Gea and Sanchez appeared to have put a lid on their difference of opinion on Wednesday.

The goalkeeper was quoted as admitting after the tense moment: “I think there was a time when I wasn’t treated as I should have been.

“Many people criticised me knowing that what had been said wasn’t right.”

De Gea will be his country's No.1 in goal for the competition [Photo: Courtesy]

De Gea downplayed his decision not to applaud Sanchez [Photo: Courtesy]

Luis Rubiales, the president of the Spanish Football Federation, told a Spanish radio station: “The mess with De Gea has resolved itself.

“Pedro Sanchez has been friendly and affectionate, he has spoken with him and he has told him he’s happy everything turned out okay. He has shown humility.”