Manchester United's decision to sign Senne Lammens over Emiliano Martinez was influenced by the Belgian goalkeeper's confidence, technical prowess, and work ethic. The Red Devils secured Lammens' services in an £18.2million deadline-day transfer from Royal Antwerp.
Despite Ruben Amorim's earlier insistence on sticking with Andre Onana, Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton, it seems his stance shifted as the transfer window was about to close. Bayindir had been Amorim's first choice following Onana's injury, but a series of costly mistakes at the start of the Premier League season raised doubts.
Onana made his return for United's Carabao Cup match against Grimsby Town, where he let in two sloppy goals, resulting in United's exit from the competition on penalties. As the transfer window neared its end, United were heavily linked with a move for unsettled Martinez, but ultimately opted for the younger Lammens.
Rik de Mil's glowing assessment of the 23 year old Lammens provides insight into why United chose him over the experienced Martinez. De Mil, who was head coach of Club NXT during Lammens' breakthrough period, recently shared with The Athletic the moment he realised the goalkeeper was a standout talent.
Back in December 2019, Club Brugge's academy side were trailing 2-1 against Real Madrid in the UEFA Youth League deep into injury time, needing an equaliser to reach the knockout rounds for the first time in the club's history.
With Brugge set to take a corner kick and with everything on the line, De Mil instructed Lammens to venture forward in a desperate bid to make an impact.
The goalkeeper then surged into the penalty area to connect with Maxim De Cuyper's delivery at the near post, directing his header across the face of goal to net the crucial equaliser.
It was in that pivotal moment that De Mil recognised just how technically gifted and assured Lammens truly was.
He said: "It didn't surprise me that he... OK, at that moment it surprised me a little bit. But it didn't surprise me that technically, it was so good.
"It didn't surprise me that he's on the right timing there; that also the technique of his heading is good, because his mobility is good. He was sometimes better than some players with the ball."
De Mil also revealed that Lammens would frequently ask to participate in outfield positions during training sessions to hone his ball skills - an uncommon request for a shot-stopper.
Meanwhile in his interview, De Mil described how he quickly identified an unmatched work ethic in Lammens.
The manager had remained late at the Brugge training facility one evening, working at a desk that provided a view of the gymnasium.
It was approximately 10pm when the lights flickered on, and De Mil spotted Lammens returning to the complex for a solitary late-night training session. He revealed: "He had been sitting at home, thinking I'm doing nothing here, so I'll go back to the training ground and I'll be all alone there in the gym," adding: "We always talked about keeping that balance of pushing and being ambitious, but at the same time, sometimes giving yourself a break. He put a lot of pressure on himself."
It seems that Lammens' hard work is finally bearing fruit. The young player made his debut for United before the international break, managing to keep a clean sheet as the Red Devils clinched a 2-0 victory over newly-promoted Sunderland, with fans chanting: "Are you [Peter] Schmeichel in disguise?"
And it looks like he will retain his position ahead of Bayindir when United head to Anfield to take on Liverpool in the Northwest derby on Sunday, October 19. Speaking about the goalkeeper during his pre-match press conference, Amorim said: "Nothing is impossible, you have to prove you can start every week.
"It is possible he can play. He is not Schmeichel yet, he is a young guy with talent and the fans liked it."