Manchester United have rallied behind goalkeeper Senne Lammens with an eight-word message after his mistake cost Belgium a place in the World Cup semi-finals. The 24-year-old, who had been an understudy to Thibault Courtois, was thrust into the spotlight during the quarter-final against Spain in Los Angeles.
Costly Error in the 88th Minute
Lammens replaced Courtois in the second half after the Real Madrid goalkeeper suffered a thigh injury. With the score level, Lammens dropped a shot from Pau Cubarsi in the 88th minute, allowing Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino to tap in the winning goal from close range. Belgium could not recover and were eliminated from the tournament.
United responded to the incident with a supportive Instagram post: "Head up, Senne. We're all with you." Courtois also offered his backing, saying: "It is a shame that Senne just couldn’t catch that ball, but that’s football. Mike, Guy and I went to give him a hug. You can’t say much at that moment. It’s just a shame, but Senne is an excellent goalkeeper. He has a bright future ahead of him, and moments like that make you stronger. It shouldn’t be blamed on him. It’s part of football."
Strong Season for United
Despite the World Cup disappointment, Lammens has enjoyed a strong debut season at Old Trafford after joining from Royal Antwerp for £18.1 million plus add-ons. He kept eight clean sheets in 32 appearances under Ruben Amorim and Michael Carrick, bringing calmness and solidity to the backline. Carrick previously compared Lammens to Edwin van der Sar, saying: "I definitely see the similarities, without comparing them. For me, he's a goalkeeper to be reliable, be trustworthy. Instead of creating chaos, you want him to take the chaos away and calm things down."
International Rise
Lammens, who had only represented Belgium at U21 level before his move to United, has since earned three senior caps. He will now return to Manchester to prepare for the new season, with the club confident he can overcome this setback.
