Heaton: World Cup error will make Lammens stronger

Tom Heaton has backed Manchester United teammate Senne Lammens to emerge as a stronger character following his World Cup disappointment. Lammens, 24, had served as backup to Thibaut Courtois throughout the tournament until the veteran Belgium goalkeeper was injured 19 minutes from the end of the quarter-final against Spain.

Lammens had barely touched the ball before he spilled Pau Cubarsi's shot late in the game, allowing Arsenal's Mikel Merino to steer home and give Spain a 2-1 victory. The young goalkeeper was distraught at the final whistle.

Heaton's support

Heaton, who signed a one-year contract extension with Manchester United in the summer, spoke to Lammens after the match. "Yes, I spoke to him," Heaton said after Manchester United's opening pre-season defeat by Wrexham in Helsinki. "It was obviously a challenging moment for him, but 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'll be stronger for it. I think his personality is fantastic for a goalkeeper, so no issues there. As I say, I honestly think it can help him in the long run."

Lammens' rise at Manchester United

Lammens joined Manchester United from Royal Antwerp for £18.1 million last summer, arriving as a relative unknown and being preferred to Argentina's Emi Martinez. He had an outstanding first season at Old Trafford, establishing himself as the club's first-choice goalkeeper.

Despite the criticism Lammens received in Belgium for his error, confidence in the youngster remains strong at United. Karl Darlow, 35, was signed as backup to Lammens on 14 July, while Heaton, 40, still views himself as a player after signing a one-year deal, though his last competitive senior appearance was in February 2023.

Lammens' mindset and return

Lammens is now on a three-week break before returning to pre-season training. He should return in the first week of August and, in theory, be available for the Gothenburg encounter with Paris St-Germain on 8 August.

"I highly doubt Senne will be going into it with fear or worrying about what may happen," said Heaton. "That can happen at any point. Literally every time you cross the foot over the earth. If that was your mindset, I'd be inclined to say it's more likely to happen."

"Goalkeeper is a position where if something goes wrong, it's going to end in a goal. Goals can change games and cause you to lose. You have to be realistic about that. It is tough, but Senne is very strong mentally. I saw that from him as a young goalkeeper coming into Manchester United and dealing with it unbelievably well."