Excellent debut campaign just the start for Lammens
[Getty Images] Manchester United goalkeeper Senne Lammens is happy with the way his debut season has gone at Old Trafford but accepts he still has lots to learn. Lammens arrived from Royal Antwerp for £18. 1m in September as a relative unknown to most supporters.
He was coveted by United's scouts though. They pushed to sign him ahead of Ruben Amorim's preferred option of Emi Martinez and while he watched three games from the bench as Altay Bayindir continued as first choice to the end of September, one Lammens got his chance, there was no looking back. Until his error against Liverpool last weekend, the 23-year-old had barely made a mistake and earned more praise for his outstanding performance in keeping Sunderland at bay at the Stadium of Light.
Lammens is set to go to the World Cup as Thibaut Courtois' deputy for Belgium, which seemed unlikely last summer. "I think I can be proud of the season I've been having," he said. "I had the perfect opportunity and it was the perfect time to come into the team and to grow.
"I had a lot of things to learn and still have but in this squad, I also get the opportunity to show myself and to help the team out. " Lammens will get his first chance to experience the Champions League next season following United's rise in the table under Michael Carrick. It is also anticipated they will do much better in the domestic cups that they managed this term, when they were knocked out at the first hurdle – they had been beaten by Grimsby in the EFL Cup before Lammens arrived at the club.
But Lammens also makes it clear this season's likely third place finish merely intended to be a step towards something better. "It's been a very good season for me personally," he said. "As a team as well, we've been growing and now it's about the next step.