Manchester United’s new goalkeeper Senne Lammens has brought stability in between the sticks at Old Trafford since his debut against Sunderland.
Senne Lammens was Manchester United‘s fourth signing of the summer. The 23-year-old was signed for just over £18 million from Belgian side Royal Antwerp, which seems to be a bargain for United so far. Since his debut before the international break, the Reds have not lost a game and it seems they have turned a corner.
The goalkeeper position has been a problem for the club since David De Gea was released in 2023. His successor, Andre Onana, suffered a nightmare two years in the sticks and Altay Bayindir has not been reliable enough to step up into the role of United’s number one.
Coming into the summer, many fans expected there to be a change in net but the situation was not addressed until the final days of the window, when United struck a deal on Deadline Day.
Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez was heavily linked with a move to the Reds but the hierarchy opted to sign the young Belgian instead. With questions over his lack of experience and young age, it was unclear whether Lammens would immediately be deployed as the starting goalkeeper for Rúben Amorim.
For the first three games of his Old Trafford career, Lammens observed from the bench as Amorim continued with Altay Bayindir in net. It wasn’t until after the 3-1 defeat away to Brentford that Amorim shifted his preference towards the Belgian. A home game against Sunderland just before the international break proved to be the perfect opportunity to state his claim as the club’s new number one.
Lammens immediately brought a calmness and security to the back line and demonstrated his confidence when claiming crosses and distributing the ball to his teammates. His positive performance and clean sheet in United’s comfortable win over Sunderland even prompted fans to start to chant “Are you Schmeichel in disguise?”
Lammens agrees with the delay of his debut
In an interview with BBC Sport, Lammens opened up about his start to life as a Manchester United player. When asked about Amorim’s decision to delay his debut, he explained that “there was nothing said before about there being a strict plan. It was always ‘the best goalkeeper will play’.
“At the start, I had a little bit of difficulty in training. The manager saw that and gave me a little bit of time to adapt. The first game I played was the perfect opportunity for me. From there everything went well. I couldn’t have imagined a better start.”
Lammens seems unfazed by the pressure that comes with being Man United’s goalkeeper. When discussing the scrutiny that comes with playing for the club, he added: “You hear from other people there is a lot of pressure coming here and playing for this team. But I welcome that. Firstly, it is nice you can play for such a big team. There should be a lot of pressure. I’m not really scared of it.”
His calm nature has been appreciated by the fans, who have given the Belgian a warm welcome. The chant that compares Lammens to United legend Peter Schmeichel flattered him but is not getting to his head.
“I’m not Schmeichel in disguise. I am just Senne Lammens trying to help the team. It is an amazing compliment to get, but you have to be realistic. He is one of the best goalkeepers ever. I have to prove a lot more to be in the same conversation as him. I want to have a long career here.”
Lammens also hinted that there is still another side to him that we may have not seen yet. He continued: “I am proud of being calm and collected. But when the time is needed, I can be harsh or shout at teammates. To have both characteristics is good.”
United fans have missed having an elite shot stopper but will give all their support to their new goalkeeper, who is showing signs of top class potential. His strong performances and calm character have impressed so far and it looks like he will be trusted moving forward.
The future is bright for Lammens
First impressions have been good but there is a long season ahead and there is a high chance that Lammens will make mistakes. However, it is important that he feels the support from the fanbase no matter what because it is clear that he has the potential to be United’s number one long-term.
Lammens has shown incredible levels of maturity as of yet, and it is sometimes easy to forget that he is still only 23 years old. Some were more in favour of the proposed signing of Emi Martinez from Aston Villa due to his experience but United decided on the younger alternative. So far, this seems to have paid off and has had a massive impact on the team’s confidence.
United currently sit in sixth place in the Premier League, just six points off the top, and have won their last three consecutive games. On Saturday, they have the chance to make it four as Amorim’s side prepare to face a strong Nottingham Forest side, now under the leadership of Sean Dyche.
Forest should not be underestimated but United are definitely the favourites going into the game. The new additions from the summer transfer window have all brought quality and excitement to the team and it looks like things are starting to click. Despite being the cheapest signing of the four, Lammens’ impact has been fantastic and hopefully United’s good form can continue.
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