For Senne Lammens, being the first choice goalkeeper at Manchester United is a blessing and a curse. The Belgian shot-stopper, 24, has been hailed as the future of the club's goalkeeping department after taking over from David de Gea for the start of the season. But with that comes immense pressure to perform.
Lammens acknowledges that he's under the microscope more than ever before. "You can't hide behind your goalkeeper," he said in an interview with BBC Sport. "When you play with United, everyone expects a win. The fans expect a clean sheet. It's a lot of pressure, but I try to use it to my advantage."
One aspect that has been drawing attention is the comparisons to legendary Dutch goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, who was known for his incredible shot-stopping and leadership qualities while playing at Old Trafford from 1991 to 1999.
While Lammens recognizes the similarities between himself and Schmeichel, he insists that there's no comparison in terms of their personalities or playing styles. "I'm not Schmeichel in disguise – I am just Senne Lammens," he said with a laugh. "We're both different players with different strengths and weaknesses."
Despite the pressure and comparisons, Lammens has been thriving at Old Trafford. He's impressed his teammates with his ability to make crucial saves and has also shown signs of developing into a more vocal leader on the pitch.
The young Belgian believes that he's learning from his experiences and is slowly getting comfortable in his role as the club's number one goalkeeper. "It's not easy, but I'm trying to take it one game at a time," Lammens said. "I just want to help the team win and make my family proud."
Lammens acknowledges that he's under the microscope more than ever before. "You can't hide behind your goalkeeper," he said in an interview with BBC Sport. "When you play with United, everyone expects a win. The fans expect a clean sheet. It's a lot of pressure, but I try to use it to my advantage."
One aspect that has been drawing attention is the comparisons to legendary Dutch goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, who was known for his incredible shot-stopping and leadership qualities while playing at Old Trafford from 1991 to 1999.
While Lammens recognizes the similarities between himself and Schmeichel, he insists that there's no comparison in terms of their personalities or playing styles. "I'm not Schmeichel in disguise – I am just Senne Lammens," he said with a laugh. "We're both different players with different strengths and weaknesses."
Despite the pressure and comparisons, Lammens has been thriving at Old Trafford. He's impressed his teammates with his ability to make crucial saves and has also shown signs of developing into a more vocal leader on the pitch.
The young Belgian believes that he's learning from his experiences and is slowly getting comfortable in his role as the club's number one goalkeeper. "It's not easy, but I'm trying to take it one game at a time," Lammens said. "I just want to help the team win and make my family proud."
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️. The comparisons to Peter Schmeichel are interesting tho - maybe he can learn from his legend and add some of those qualities to his own gameplay? 
️
and not just try to be someone else 
As an activist, I think it's dope that Senne Lammens is owning it though - he's not letting all the expectations get to him. He's embracing the pressure and using it to fuel his performances. That's what we need more of in sports, you know? Athletes who aren't afraid to speak up and make a difference off the pitch too. 
. I mean, coming in for De Gea was huge and now everyone's expecting him to be Schmeichel 2.0. Let's see how long that lasts lol. And honestly, can we just slow down the hype train? The kid's still young and gotta prove himself. No need to put pressure on him like he's carrying the whole team on his back 
. On one hand, Lammens' ability to make crucial saves and his growing leadership qualities are a testament to his growth as a goalkeeper 
. However, the comparisons to Peter Schmeichel's illustrious career may be an undue burden to bear, as it's unlikely that anyone can truly replicate another player's unique identity 
.
! As a young goalkeeper taking over as the first choice at Manchester United, he's got a lot of weight on his shoulders 
. But, I think it's awesome that he's using the pressure as fuel to drive him forward 
. Comparisons to Peter Schmeichel are inevitable, but I don't think Lammens needs to be defined by those shoes 
. He's got his own unique style and strengths to bring to the table, and it's great that he's embracing that 
. His ability to make crucial saves and lead by example has won over his teammates 
. And, let's be real, his humility and willingness to learn are qualities that will serve him well in the long run 
.
!
i love how he compares himself to schmeichel but he's still one of a kind, you feel? 
and honestly, i think he's doing an amazing job of being vocal leader on pitch, it's so refreshing to see a gk who cares about teammates & team win 
Lammens is like the meme that's always getting compared to Schmeichel 
, but he's still finding his own sauce 
. Pressure? What pressure? He's just over here saving lives and making memes 
! 
. Like, yeah he's great and all, but can't the fans just chill for one sec? 
And comparisons to Schmeichel are cool, but like come on, he's a legend! 
Can't Lammens be his own person or something? 
It sounds like a pretty good strategy to me... *shrugs*
... being the new goalie at man utd is like, super high stakes, u no? 
) and comparisons to Peter Schmeichel are going to be hard to shake off. But hey, he's taking it in stride, focusing on one game at a time and trying not to put too much pressure on himself. 
24 yrs old and already being compared to the great Peter Schmeichel 
! It's cool he's taking it in stride tho 
, gotta respect that 
keep up the great work, senne!!! 