Photo by Manchester United/Manchester United via Getty Images

Thibaut Courtois shares advice for Senne Lammens and Belgium’s next generation of goalkeepers

Originally posted on HITC | By Vatsal Gupta | Last updated Oct 13, 2025 2:41 PM ET

Senne Lammens has quickly become a bright spot in Manchester United’s season, following an impressive debut against Sunderland before the international break.

Manchester United picked up their first clean sheet of the season in that match, and it didn’t seem like a coincidence that it came on Lammens’ debut. He brought some much-needed stability to a back line that had been struggling under Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir.

The young keeper looked assured throughout, giving fans plenty of reason to be optimistic about his future at the club. Now away with Belgium for international duty, Lammens is learning from one of the best in Thibaut Courtois, who recently spoke about the competition for places within the national team setup.

Courtois knows all too well how difficult it is to break into an established lineup. He waited behind Simon Mignolet before eventually taking over as Belgium’s No. 1. Speaking about the current situation, Courtois offered some insight into what it takes to earn a place between the posts.

Thibaut Courtois weighs in on Senne Lammens and Belgium’s next wave of goalkeepers

With the early nickname “Baby Courtois” following him, getting to train alongside Thibaut Courtois gives Lammens a real opportunity to develop.

Courtois has always been open about supporting younger players, especially with so many looking up to him within the Belgian set-up.

Photo by Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty Images

Now, with Lammens under greater scrutiny at Manchester United, he can turn to Courtois for advice on dealing with it—few clubs face the same level of attention as Real Madrid.

Speaking with Voetbal Nieuws, Courtois highlighted the strength of Belgium’s young keepers and backed them to keep improving.

He said: “It’s great to see these new talents playing. The future looks bright. They’re good goalkeepers. We have a good group of goalkeepers here, the atmosphere is good. They need to keep making progress with their teams.”

Lammens has the potential to be United’s long-term answer in goal

It might sound early to say, but Lammens seems to have the qualities needed to settle in at Old Trafford.

He doesn’t seem bothered by pressure, and he has shown the ability to move on from mistakes quickly, staying focused on what’s ahead.

Against Sunderland, there was a moment where he found himself caught out of position. But instead of letting it rattle him, he settled back in and continued organising his defence well.

That sort of resilience is important at United. It was something Onana struggled with, often letting one error lead to more.

Lammens will need time to grow into the role fully. If fans and Ruben Amorim stay patient through the early stages, they might find they’ve got their next long-term goalkeeper already in place.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: