Manchester United goalkeeper Sene Lamenz has detailed the impact of Tom Heaton on his breakthrough at the club.
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Lamens joined Manchester United from Royal Antwerp for £18.2 million on the final day of the summer transfer window.
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After Andre Onana lost his place in the team, United entered the market to acquire his services and it was clear that Altay Bayindil could not be number one. Lamence had to wait for his chance and did not make his debut until October. He kept a clean sheet in the 2-0 win over Sunderland at Old Trafford.
The Belgian never looked back, establishing himself as a reliable and consistent presence in goal. He made few mistakes and brought a sense of calm and composure that was sorely lacking in his predecessors.
Lamence attracted attention with his incredible shot saves, while also showing excellent control of the ball.
Signing the young Belgian is an unspectacular addition in a transfer window that has brought in attacking talents such as Benjamin Cesco, Matheus Cunha and Brian Mbemo. However, his influence proved equally important. In Lamenz, United appear to have secured first place for the next decade.
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He was interviewed by Ben Foster on the Fozcast podcast and credited Heaton with playing a key role in his rise.
ramens plays heaton
“He was really helpful. He helped me a lot the first few weeks, especially getting me to relax,” Ramens said.
“It’s always nice to have someone who knows so much about the Premier League and this club and everything in between, who helps me when I need it but also helps me relax and have a joke sometimes. Coming from him, it’s a good feeling.”
The 23-year-old added: “To this day, I’m almost 40 years old and I can still see him in training, so I can only imagine how good he was in his prime. “For a Belgian, he probably doesn’t really get the recognition in the world. “Especially, on top of that, every team-mate you talk about, even the ones he’s training with now, the way they talk about him, the quality he has on the pitch, but more importantly the quality he has off the pitch, as a guy he is.”
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“Probably the reason our friendship is so strong is because we’re kind of similar in every way – I can see a lot of myself in him. And vice versa, he tells me a lot: ‘You’re a lot like me when I was younger.'”
“He knows what I’m thinking in almost every situation, so that’s where he helps me as well, maybe in more difficult situations or when I’m doing well, in those situations, he tries to help me not get too over my head.”
Lamence hails Fernandez
Lamence also praised Bruno Fernandes, calling the captain the club’s best coach.
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The United goalkeeper said of Fernandes: “I think that’s why he’s been like that over the years, like you see him on the pitch every Saturday. You see him every day in training as well.”
When asked who had the hardest shot in training, Lamence replied: “Benjamin Cesco. It’s crazy sometimes. You know, as a goalkeeper, when people are five yards in front of you, you really don’t want to take the ball.”
“He still does it sometimes. I’m just like, take it easy, take it easy.”
Lamence and his teammates will face Aston Villa at the Theater of Dreams on Sunday. The game starts at 2pm.
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Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images
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