‘Will be stronger for it’ – Man Utd goalie Senne Lammens consoled by veteran Red Devils pal after fatal World Cup error

MANCHESTER UNITED veteran Tom Heaton has reached out to Senne Lammens, tipping the young goalkeeper to bounce back “stronger” from his World Cup heartbreak. A fatal error from Lammens condemned Belgium to a 2-1 quarter-final defeat against Spain, bringing a premature end to their World Cup campaign. Tom Heaton has reached out to Senne Lammens following his World Cup disappointment Credit: Getty Senne Lammens, on for the injured Thibault Courtois, endured a World Cup clanger Credit: Getty Bound for extra time, Lammens—who replaced the injured Thibaut Courtois ten minutes earlier—fumbled Pau Cubarsi’s 25-yard shot, teeing up Mikel Merino to roof the rebound and book Spain a semi-final with France. After Courtois, the Belgian bench and even Arsenal‘s Merino rushed to console a shattered Lammens at the end of his horror World Cup debut in Los Angeles on June 10. Sign up for the Man United newsletter Thank you! United’s goalkeeping unit has closed ranks around Lammens, and Heaton is confident the ordeal will serve the 24-year-old United No1 well in the future. Speaking after United’s first preseason defeat in Helsinki, Heaton said: “Yeah, I spoke to him (Lammens). He’s obviously off on a break now, a much-needed break, after a long World Cup. “It was obviously a challenging moment for him, but I think that’s the life of a goalkeeper. “As soon as you put the gloves on and go between the sticks, you have to be ready to deal with that. He certainly is. “I actually think he’ll be stronger for it. His personality is fantastic for a goalkeeper, so no issues there. “It’s obviously disappointing for him, but as I say, I do honestly think it can help him in the long run. Most read in Sport BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK Tom Heaton and Senne Lammens in September Credit: Getty “It’s certainly tough but his personality is suited for it. He’s very strong mentally and he’ll be absolutely fine.” After a stellar breakthrough season, Lammens won the hearts of United fans and scooped the Premier League’s Transfer of the Season award. Despite his limited experience—just 64 games in the Belgian top-flight before moving—he thrived under the pressure of being Old Trafford‘s No1. Having ousted Altay Bayindir to start 32 league matches, Lammens played a vital role in United’s third-place finish has bought him a vast reserve of goodwill. Asked if Lammens would be anxious about another slip-up, Heaton shrugged it off: “That can happen at any point. “Literally every time you cross the foot over the earth, so if that’s your mindset and that’s your outlook, then I’d be more inclined to say it’s more likely to happen. “It’s accepting the fact that it can happen, but what you want to try and do and go and embrace it? “I’ve certainly seen that from him as a young goalkeeper coming into Manchester United and dealing with that unbelievably well. “I highly doubt he’ll be going into it with fear or worrying about what may happen, it’s more about what you want to go and achieve, whilst also accepting if it happens you can deal with it.” Heaton is confident the ordeal will serve Lammens in the future Credit: Getty He is currently enjoying some downtime with his family during a mandatory three-week break following his World Cup exit. SunSport revealed last week that United will support Lammens when he reports to preseason, which should be in time for United’s matches in Sweden against Atletico Madrid and PSG. Heaton played the opening 45 minutes of United’s 1-0 loss to Wrexham in the Finnish capital, conceding the game’s only goal to former United youth star Sam Smith. Manager Michael Carrick then overhauled his entire lineup at the break, introducing Radek Vitek for the second half. Heaton, who is embracing a mentorship role in the dressing room this season, spoke highly of the young goalkeeper. He said: “Radek’s had a really, really good season last year at Bristol. Delighted for him. “I do rate him highly. He’s probably ready for the next step up. Whether that’s fighting at the top of the Championship, or maybe getting into the Premier League and keeping that development going really. “But he’s certainly got an awful lot of potential, real good personality for a goalkeeper. He’s assertive, strong in his mind and that’s held him in good stead over the last couple of years.” Radek said he would be open to another loan or permanent move this summer. United signed former Leeds No1 Karl Darlow on a free transfer last week and Dermott Mee signed a fresh extension. Any deal would almost certainly include a substantial sell-on clause and a buy-back option. 1 comment1