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Former Manchester United goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard has fiercely defended Andre Onana and called on the Cameroonian to be afforded the right conditions to demonstrate what makes him special.
United signed Onana from Inter Milan last summer as a replacement for the departed David de Gea. Onana’s maiden season at Old Trafford was certainly a mixed bag.
His start to life at the club was highlighted by numerous high-profile errors that dearly cost the team, especially in the Champions League.
However, towards the end of the campaign, Onana produced a string of very strong performances that left fans very encouraged ahead of 2024/25.
Lindegaard spoke to club media and backed Onana to continue in his upward trajectory.
The Dane said about the current United No.1, “I think Onana has done very well, in terms of handling it [the pressure]. I think he got a lot of criticism. I think he got too much as well. People should try to understand what it is that he was brought to Manchester United for. He was not brought to Manchester United to just make world-class saves and bail the team out, as we have been used to a little bit with David De Gea.”
“He was brought to Manchester United because he has world-class feet. He is a top-three goalkeeper in the planet with his feet in terms of distribution, in terms of passing the ball out, setting up play.”
“You can’t expect him to dominate the boxes like Thibaut Courtois. You can’t expect him to make as many fingertip saves as David De Gea. That is their best ability and where they are the best in the world. Yet we can expect him to be world class with his feet.”
“But he can’t do that without the help of his team. It is a lot easier to make world-class fingertip saves just by yourself. But playing out from the back is not just about you, it is about the team in front of you as well. So the team needs to be set up and have the right players to do that.”
Lindegaard added, “At the end of the day, the fact he has overcome the amount of criticism he has faced is a testament to his mental strength. He’s got a very strong head. The fact he can overcome it is remarkable and really impressive and I salute that.”
“I think he found himself in a good place and a good state by the end of the season and I can assure you that he will have been a lot stronger by the end of the season than he was at the start. He has taken in a lot of experience that is going to benefit him for his further career at Manchester United. I just hope he is given the chance to really showcase how brilliant he is with his feet.”
Lindegaard reflected on Onana’s sensational display for Inter during the Champions League final against Manchester City.
The ex-United man remarked that such was Onana’s distribution and technical ability, that he limited Pep Guardiola’s men from pressing effectively as a unit.
Lindegaard said about that particular occasion, “He was by far the best player on the pitch in that match. It was one of the best performances I have ever seen any keeper have with their feet and that really tells you something. If you can do that in a Champions League final and against Manchester City, then it is pure world-class.”
Lindegaard, who is set to make his debut for United Legends against Celtic next month, revealed that he’s looking forward to catching up with Tom Heaton.
He labelled Heaton as a “great goalkeeper” and “a top top professional”.
Lindegaard expressed his delight with United’s decision to extend Heaton’s stay at the club by an additional 12 months.
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