David de Gea isn't one to give too many interviews but even he couldn't hide this week as Manchester United prepare to visit his former club.
The goalkeeper's comments in advance of Wednesday night's meeting with Atletico Madrid just showed how human affections can change with time.
'I like the fact I was born in Madrid but, at the end of the day, it's just a city,' De Gea said to UEFA.com.
De Gea has certainly come a long way from the thin, scrawny stopper that played for Atletico
'Now I feel as if I'm from Manchester; I just feel like anyone else from Manchester.