There aren’t many better to judge a Man Utd goalkeeper than Edwin van der Sar, and he was convinced of one thing about Senne Lammens that people keep getting wrong.
Regardless of how this season would have gone, Man Utd fans would agree on Senne Lammens being the biggest pleasant surprise.
To arrive from Belgium’s fifth-best team and become first-choice for England’s third-best is an unbelievable achievement.
Nobody would have expected his debut season to be this good, except Edwin van der Sar, and he’s said as much now.
Senne Lammens has been voted SIGNING OF THE SEASON by fans on TalkingPoints – Send your message to the goalkeeper here…
Senne Lammens didn’t surprise Edwin van der Sar
A lot of credit has gone to the likes of Tony Coton, Man Utd’s goalkeeping scout, for discovering Lammens.
More than his talent, his ability to stay calm and composed in such a scrutinised position has seen him deliver success.
He has surprised fans with his ability and mentality, but as per Edwin van der Sar, people are wrong if they are surprised by how good he is.
According to the Dutchman, Lammens showed he’s a dynastic building block for the club as soon as he arrived.
He said: “Senne Lammens? I think nobody was surprised, but he did a tremendous job with the way he came in and conducted himself, claiming the crosses, with the saves that he made.
“He looks like a really good goalkeeper. He looks like a really good buy for the coming years to develop the team that Michael needs to challenge for honours.”
Lammens will want to avoid second-season syndrome
The only test that’s left for Lammens to face at Old Trafford is how he deals with everything now that he’s a known quantity.
How much is Senne Lammens worth now?
Man Utd got a real bargain… how much of a bargain?
His competition last season was Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir, so anything remotely basic he did was met with plenty of support.
Next season, he will be judged on the bar he set for himself this season, which means he needs to keep doing the basics, and then show more to his game.
Getting better with the ball at his feet is a start, especially if Carrick’s style of play takes shape in his ideal vision.
From there, an evolution in his leadership skills is a must because he has shown potential, while also doing more against long-range shots.
Lammens is no longer the Onana upgrade, which was easy to do. Now he needs to aim to stand in the company of Edwin van der Sar and the like.
Van der Sar himself is convinced that he can do it, even when others were surprised.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
