Senne Lammens has made a bold claim that he isn't "afraid" of Andre Onana's Manchester United legacy, with the Belgian goalkeeper is preparing for the long haul at Old Trafford. The Red Devils have had a couple of legends between the sticks at the Theatre of Dreams, such as Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar. Many might make a case for David de Gea as well, but most will concur that the Spaniard was the last of the goalkeeping stars. With Onana, a sharp decline started as United slipped to horrifying depths, with the Cameroonian committing several costly mistakes, which saw him shipped out on loan to Trabzonspor.
Man Utd's new goalkeeper brings calmness
Following the departure of Onana, head coach Ruben Amorim trusted Altay Bayindir with the gloves. However, the Turkish stopper could not convince anyone that he could handle the pressure of the English top flight. Enter a 23-year-old, relatively unknown Belgian, signed for £18 million (€21m/$24m) from Royal Antwerp on deadline day and the tide started turning. Since Lammens’ arrival, United’s results have surged. Three games, three wins, one clean sheet, and a renewed sense of calm at the back have returned to Old Trafford. For Lammens, the pressure of following United’s goalkeeping lineage doesn’t faze him in the slightest. Speaking to Belgian outlet he shrugged off the chatter that has consumed every United keeper since De Gea’s decline and exit.
AdvertisementGetty/GOALLammens eyes whole decade at Old Trafford
"There's been a lot of commotion about the goalkeepers in recent years," Lammens said. "They've received a lot of negative comments. I wasn't worried about that. I want to be someone people look up to. My dream is to play here for the next ten years, be important to the club, and build a legacy. That's a long-term goal."
It hasn’t taken long for the Stretford End to fall in love with him. Many fans are hailing him as the next Schmeichel, but the keeper has his feet firmly rooted to the ground.
"It was wonderful to hear the supporters sing that to me," he said. "A huge compliment, especially after my first match. But I'm not getting too carried away with their enthusiasm. I still have a lot to prove to be mentioned in the same breath as Peter Schmeichel, you know."
The two have already met recently, and the moment has left an impression on Lammens. "I ran into him on the sidelines after a match," he said. "He was very friendly. Schmeichel knows it's not easy to be compared to him. He told me to be there for the team, but above all, to be myself. It was nice to hear that from someone you look up to. It also reassured me in a way."
Lammens handling the spotlight like a veteran
Lammens has started on the right note. But the keeper is well aware of how quickly things can unravel at a club like United. He is focused on his task at hand, does not want to showboat, and just wants to stick to the basics to cement his spot as the undisputed No.1.
"When things go badly, you're immediately put down," he said. "And when things go well, they praise you to the skies. I'm not really concerned with what 'people' say about me. But I did realise how important my debut against Sunderland would be. I had to make a good first impression. And I succeeded. Not that I made any spectacular saves, but I did radiate calm. I'm proud of that."
Lammens' sense of composure has impressed Amorim, and the Portuguese has been effusive in his praise for the young Belgian. The boss even admitted he didn’t expect Lammens to settle so quickly amid all the pressure surrounding United’s goalkeeper situation.
"Senne Lammens has been great. His impact surprised me a little bit, because it is hard in the moment of our club and all of the speculation around our goalkeepers… he has coped really well with the pressure," Amorim explained in a press conference after the Liverpool victory.
But Amorim also reminded fans not to get ahead of themselves. "He’s not Schmeichel yet," he continued. "He’s a young guy with talent. He showed a lot of composure, and the fans liked it. But again, that is in the past; we need to prove in the next game."
AFPForest test awaits Lammens
As United travel to the City Ground to face Sean Dyche’s Nottingham Forest, Lammens is preparing to do battle with Belgium team-mate Matz Sels, who was voted into the PFA Team of the Year for 2024-25 but hasn't started the new season well.