The reason why Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens has the numbers ‘8’ and ‘24’ on his gloves has been revealed. This season, there has been an unusual quietness surrounding the Red Devils' goalkeeper union - a welcome change from the 2024/25 campaign, when Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir took turns making fatal, and often flabbergasting, errors.
Lammens was a little-known quantity after signing from Belgian side Royal Antwerp for just over £18 million in the summer. While he remains an underrated choice, he has had a steady start to life at Old Trafford, keeping one clean sheet and conceding 10 goals in his first eight Premier League appearances.
But the fact that he is still relatively unknown means there is a lot to learn about him. Is he the right man to hold down the fort for Ruben Amorim's side? That is indeed the most important question. Yet, to get to know the man behind the club’s rescue mission, understanding the story behind the two numbers on his gloves is a good place to start.
Why Senne Lammens Has '8' and '24' on his Gloves
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Lammens was asked the meaning behind the numbers written on his gloves during an interview with Sky Sports ahead of a trip to Molineux to face Wolves in the Premier League. His answer was a touching tribute to NBA icon Kobe Bryant, as he explained (watch the segment below): “Nobody has asked me yet. It’s #8 and #24 [on my gloves].
"When I was growing up and a young goalkeeper, I had difficulties. My personality was calm, steady, mellow, more introverted. Some guy gave me a book called ‘The alter ego’ - when you step onto the pitch you kind of turn into another guy, like a mental switch.
"I’m a BIG basketball guy and one of my idols is Kobe Bryant, and his mentality, so the #8 and #24 are the numbers on his back. When I step onto the pitch, it’s a quick reminder to switch on, so during the game I look at it. It’s a ritual that I do now.”
Kobe Bryant is widely regarded as one of the greatest NBA players of all time, and the basic mechanics that make a basketball star so exceptional aren’t too dissimilar from what makes a goalkeeper great. Height, strong hands, and the ability to command a space are hallmarks of both sports, even if there are just as many - if not more - differences.
Amorim's Defence Is in Safe Hands with Lammens
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Lammens, fully embracing his simple-yet-effective playing style that sees fewer risks taken and camera saves become a rarity, has already worked his way onto a list of the 20 best goalkeepers in the world right now. Of all goalkeepers in Europe's top 10 leagues last season, the 23-year-old ranked first for total saves made (173) with a 77.4% save percentage.
Using xG, he was expected to concede 66.4 goals but only let in 48 (excluding own goals), which placed him second in Europe for goals prevented, having statistically stopped 18.4 total goals. There are areas in United's defence that still need addressing, but after overlooking the chance to sign Gianluigi Donnarumma, it seems their attempt at looking at statistics over reputation could work wonders for them long term.