The Strange Story of Lammens

Lammens switched to the goalkeeper position because he was "too lazy to run and didn't want to be substituted".

Joining Manchester United in the summer of 2025 from Royal Antwerp for £18.2 million, the 23-year-old goalkeeper quickly made his mark with impressive performances and a tenacious spirit. His clean sheet on his debut in the 2-0 victory against Sunderland led many fans to believe that MU had found a new gem in goal.

Few people know that Senne's journey to the Premier League began with a lazy decision. According to his brother, Tom Lammens, Senne was once a powerful, fast striker who often tormented defenders. But at the age of 10, he unexpectedly asked to switch to goalkeeper, simply because he "didn't want to run so much and was afraid of being substituted mid-match."

His father, former player Eddy Lammens, thought it was just a fleeting infatuation and sent his son to a goalkeeping training camp. Little did he know it would be a turning point. With his tall stature and excellent reflexes, Senne quickly demonstrated his natural talent in goal.

Lammens was a striker when he was young.

From his hometown club KRC Bambrugge, he followed his brother to FCV Dender, then was recruited by Club Brugge after impressing in youth tournaments. There, Senne developed strongly, especially in his ability to control the 16.5-meter area and handle the ball under pressure. When Royal Antwerp gave him the opportunity to be the starting goalkeeper, he seized it without hesitation, and his mature performances in Belgium caught the attention of Manchester United.

Before the big match against Liverpool, Senne received a witty message from his senior teammate Thibaut Courtois: "Anfield is a very difficult place to play. Maybe I should tell him to clap to the home crowd when he goes out onto the pitch to ease his nervousness." Courtois believed his younger teammate had enough personality to overcome the pressure: "He's tall, strong, and not afraid of crosses. He's the kind of goalkeeper with character."

Liverpool are desperate for a win after a run of three defeats, while Manchester United have found a new rhythm under Amorim. And if he can hold his own at Anfield, Senne Lammens – a young man who used to be hesitant to run – could write the most memorable night of his young career.

For the past seven years, Manchester United have not won at Anfield, and Senne is the team's hope for a point in the clash that takes place at 10:30 PM on October 19th.