Young goalkeeper Senne Lammens admits words of encouragement from childhood idols never lose their impact, especially when they come from a legend like Edwin van der Sar.
The former Netherlands No.1 was in the Sky Sports studio on Monday night for the clash between Everton and Manchester United, giving him a front-row seat as Lammens delivered his first away clean sheet of the Premier League season.
Under intense late pressure at Hill Dickinson Stadium, the Belgian keeper stood firm as Everton resorted to an aerial assault and packed the box at set-pieces.
Despite a nervy final 20 minutes, Lammens navigated the chaos superbly. A series of assured claims and vital interventions ensured United held on, earning him Man of the Match honours from both broadcasters and supporters.
Among those impressed was Van der Sar, widely regarded as one of United’s greatest goalkeepers following his role in the club’s 2008 UEFA Champions League triumph.
“With your age, in your first year in the Premier League, you’re really doing incredibly well,” Edwin told Lammens.
“And you have a good save, good hands, so compliments on your all-round game.”
Those words clearly resonated. Speaking a couple of days later during a visit to a school linked with the club’s foundation, Lammens reflected on what the praise meant to him.
“Edwin’s someone I’ve grown up looking towards and looking up to, so it’s always nice to hear from him, to hear positive words,” he said.
“Any comparison with him, or with Peter Schmeichel, is always nice to hear.
“We are quite similar – he’s from the Netherlands and I’m from Belgium – it’s not far from each other, so we also know a little bit about character and background.
“I think it’s quite similar, so it’s always nice to hear those nice words from him.”
United head coach Michael Carrick, who shared a dressing room with Van der Sar between 2006 and the Dutchman’s retirement, also sees familiar traits in Lammens though he was careful not to push comparisons too far.
“I don’t want to be comparing them because I don’t think it’s fair to Senne, but there’s definitely similarities,” Carrick explained.
“For me, he’s a goalkeeper to be reliable, to be trustworthy and, instead of creating the chaos, you want him to take the chaos away and calm things down. I think Senne is that.
“He’s quite quiet at times and unassuming but he’s got a real steeliness.”
For Lammens, still in his first Premier League campaign, the combination of performances on the pitch and recognition from those he once watched from afar suggests he is moving in the right direction: calmly, confidently, and with growing authority.
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