Senne Lammens may not have been the most high-profile of signings to arrive at Old Trafford last summer, but he has quickly emerged as one of the most important.
The 23-year-old, an £18.1 million deadline day acquisition from Royal Antwerp, has looked like money well spent ever since earning a clean sheet in an assured debut against Sunderland back in October.
It was the sort of no-fuss, serene afternoons that Manchester United had been starved of when either Andre Onana or Altay Bayindir lined up between the sticks.
And although some bizarrely question his quality due to the meagre transfer fee, the Belgian continued to go about his business with routine sophistication.
Lammens is handling the expected pressure well.
Gary Neville once stated that being United’s number one is the hardest position in the English game, and, given the overwhelming evidence, it’s hard to disagree.
The pressure and scrutiny that come with being the main goalkeeper at Manchester United are unquestionable, and the margins of acceptable error are minuscule.
With that said, Lammens seems to have taken all of this in his stride so far – even though the step from the Belgian Pro League to England’s top-flight was never going to be easy.
The 6ft 4 inch keeper has been a calm and reassuring presence for the 20-time English champions, and has played every minute of every game so far, making some standout saves along the way.
Notably, Senne has also displayed his world-class agility with a couple of eye-catching double saves at crucial times for his side. Firstly, at Tottenham last November, before repeating the trick against Wolves at Old Trafford on December 30.
Our young Belgian also impressed during the statement win over league leaders Arsenal in January, producing some key stops whilst having to contend with the Gunners’ scrum-like corner routines.
As United picked up the pieces from Ruben Amorim’s rather turbulent reign, the former Club Brugge youngster has shown to be a tranquil influence at the back.
He has emerged with maturity beyond his years, keeping two shut-outs under Michael Carrick, and playing a starring role during the Englishman’s five games at the helm to date.
In the week marking 17 years since Edwin van der Sar recorded an unprecedented 14th successive Premier League clean sheet, Lammens has earned comparison to the goalkeeping icon.
Eric Steele was Sir Alex Ferguson’s goalkeeping coach in Manchester for five years, serving the club during a very successful stint towards the back-end of an incredible reign, between 2008 and 2013.
The 71-year-old worked closely with Van der Sar, as well as the likes of Ben Foster, Tomasz Kuszczak and Anders Lindegaard, playing an instrumental role in bringing David de Gea to the club in 2011.
Speaking on the Talk of the Devils podcast, Steele stated that Lammens has shown some similarities to the 2008 Champions League-winning shotstopper.
“Edwin van der Sar, calmest man on the field. This guy [Lammens] reminds me a little bit of him,” he said. “I’m not sure in terms of his in-possession work, but in terms of what Andy [Mitten] was asking, I think it’s right.
“He’s been able to fine-tune his game now working with Craig [Mawson], but then also seeing the Premier League, seeing the games.”
The Zottegem-born shot stopper has, without question, introduced a quiet reliability to United’s goalkeeping department, and, still not 24 until July, he has plenty of time to improve and grow even further.
Never one to generate headlines, Lammens comes across equally as cool off the pitch.
“I understand I might come across as boring, but that’s the goalkeeper I want to be,” he gestured during an interview with Belgian publication HLN.
And, much like Van der Sar all those years ago, it is exactly the goalkeeper Manchester United have needed.
Have you been pleased with Senne Lammens and his calm introduction at the club? Let us know in the comments or across our social channels.
Photo by operations@newsimages.co.uk via depositphotos.com.
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