Lammens silences critics with clean sheet as Belgian media hail Man United keeper

Senne Lammens delivered a pointed on-pitch response to his critics on Friday, keeping a clean sheet as Belgium swept Turkey 3-0 in a UEFA Nations League Group A1 fixture, with Belgian media awarding the Manchester United goalkeeper a 7/10 rating across the board.

The 24-year-old had entered the week under scrutiny. United legend Paul Scholes had recently declared that “the jury’s still out” on whether Lammens is truly world-class, a verdict that followed a costly error at the World Cup quarter-final and a shaky start to the new Premier League season — no clean sheets in the league, eight goals conceded, and a notable mistake in a 1-1 draw against Fulham.

Lammens addressed the noise directly before the Turkey match. “You have to be mentally strong and self-confident in the face of all those people who express their opinions,” he said. He then backed those words with action, logging seven official saves including multiple stops against Real Madrid’s Arda Güler to help Belgium to a comfortable victory. Kevin De Bruyne scored twice and Romelu Lukaku added a third.

Flemish daily Het Nieuwsblad noted it was the third consecutive Nations League match in which Lammens had performed at an exceptional level — a run that also includes a commanding display in a 2-0 win over Italy. “He proved for the third match in a row that he is worthy of the national coach’s trust,” the outlet wrote. “Saves what he needs to save and as a goalkeeper, that gets you a long way.”

Dutch-language publication Het Laatste Nieuws was equally complimentary, highlighting both his shot-stopping and his composure in possession. “His second clean sheet in three matches. Kept alert, including on an attempt by Güler. He also exuded composure on the ball. Excellent save on a free kick in the closing stages.”

The performance adds context to what has been a complicated start to Lammens’s second season at Old Trafford. In his debut Premier League campaign, he kept eight clean sheets, made 79 saves in 32 appearances, and was named the division’s Transfer of the Season as United finished third — a remarkable return on an initial £18.2 million outlay from Royal Antwerp.

Belgium face France again on Monday, a rematch of the 1-0 Nations League defeat that opened their group campaign.