Lammens fires back at Keane and Scholes: 'You have to be mentally strong'

Senne Lammens has hit back at criticism from Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, saying the scrutiny that comes with being Manchester United’s first-choice goalkeeper demands mental resilience rather than a change of character.

The 24-year-old Belgian, who joined United from Royal Antwerp for £18.2 million just over a year ago, was speaking during Belgium’s Nations League camp after a difficult run of public commentary from two of the club’s most decorated former players.

Scholes had questioned whether Lammens was the calibre of goalkeeper required to win the Premier League, pointing to Alisson at Liverpool, Ederson at City and Raya at Arsenal as the standard United must match. “What team have you seen win the Premier League without a top-class goalkeeper?” Scholes said following United’s 1-0 defeat to Manchester City. “Lammens might be that, I don’t know — I think the jury’s probably still out on that.”

Keane, meanwhile, drew attention to Lammens spending time on the Old Trafford pitch with his family after the same derby defeat — a moment Keane framed critically.

Lammens addressed both men’s remarks without naming them directly. “Playing for United hasn’t changed my character,” he said. “You do have to be mentally strong and have self-confidence in the face of all those people expressing their opinions. I can imagine that isn’t easy for everyone. I love playing all those Premier League matches. Premier League, Nations League… It doesn’t feel any different.”

With Thibaut Courtois absent from Belgium’s Nations League squad, Lammens has taken the opportunity to cement his standing at international level too. He appears on course to become Mark van Bommel’s first-choice goalkeeper, though he was measured when asked about the situation with Courtois.

“We haven’t talked about it much,” he said. “I think it is important to focus on the current matches and the players who are here. I think I am the number one now. It is important that I perform well and am ready immediately. I cannot control what the future holds. But I can control my performances.”

The response will do little to silence the debate around United’s goalkeeping position, but it does offer a clear picture of how Lammens intends to handle life under the microscope at one of the world’s most scrutinised clubs.