L’Equipe are famously very stingy when handing out their match ratings. So when the Manchester United linked was praised by the famously difficult-to-please French publication, that almost felt like confirmation that he is most certainly on the right track.
Ok, he didn’t join a select group of only 15 players in history to be awarded a perfect ‘ten’ by L’Equipe. But their 7/10 rating, handed out after a 2-2 draw in midweek, can almost be translated as a 9/10 in the UK press.
‘Seven’ usually means pretty decent but no more in England. Across the channel, however, Len Goodman’s favourite rating suggests you’ve had quite the evening.
And amid reports suggesting that Manchester United are looking at bringing in Patrick Schulte as a back-up to Andre Onana – the Colombus Crew stopper a potential replacement for Altay Bayindir – that stellar display during the USA’s highly-impressive comeback draw with France’s much-vaunted Under-23 side was another milestone in the career of a 23-year-old glovesman who provided the rock-solid platform for his side’s MLS triumph in 2023.
Manchester United eye USA goalkeeper Patrick Schulte
Not that Schulte – or anyone connected with Schulte – is letting one of the rising stars of US football get ahead of himself, however, the Missouri-born glovesman a man with an experienced head on young shoulders.
“I just try and focus match to match. I don’t try and look at the future, I try and build on the past,” Schulte tells CBS Golazo on YouTube. “Obviously, when you’re winning trophies and playing for your country, these things give you confidence.
“But also the group of guys I work with every day, the coaching staff, they want to keep me humble and grounded but to push me to be better and not worry about what the future is gonna have.”
Schulte, Transfermarkt report, is also an option for Arsenal. Capped once by the USA at senior level, he could allegedly be available for a fee up to £11 million.
And, in an admission that will catch the eye of United boss Erik ten Hag, Schulte not only admires a former Red Devils stopper but also the man who helped transform the role of the goalkeeper in the modern era. Ten Hag wants his ‘keepers to be able to start attacks as well as stop them, and Schulte obviously understands the importance of building from the back.
Patrick Schulte is a big Tim Howard fan
“When I grew up, (my idol) was always Tim Howard. That’s when I started my transition into a goalkeeper, when he was killing it at the (2014) World Cup. I definitely always looked up to him and wanted to have a career like him,” Schulte adds.
“But I also watched a lot of Neuer growing up, you know playing out from the back, being courageous, (being) a sweeper-keeper and making crazy saves.”
Onana, the £47 million signing from Inter Milan, was brought in to replace David de Gea due to his superb passing range and his ability to render the opposition press somewhat moot. Schulte is keen to develop into a goalkeeper of similar strengths, while also looking to hone his shot-stopping talents.
“For me, it’s my presence within the goal (that I’m working to improve),” he explains. “Being that calming presence where the team can always rely on me, and making those match-defining saves to ultimately win us games. Those areas are areas where I personally want to continue to grow.”
Bayindir, meanwhile, is facing an uncertain future at Old Trafford. His hopes of featuring for Turkey at Euro 2024 certainly haven’t been helped by a total of one appearance in Manchester United colours.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
