Andre Onana warned over 'cruel reality' of playing for Man Utd as club legend Peter Schmeichel explains two reasons why £47m goalkeeper was 'unlucky' during difficult debut season

Onana had a difficult start to life at Old Trafford after signing from Inter for £47 million ($60m) to replace David de Gea, who was the Red Devils' longest-serving goalkeeper and also kept a record number of clean sheets. The Cameroonian had a particularly torrid time in the Champions League, playing his part in United's disastrous exit from the group stage.

"I just thought he was a bit unlucky for two reasons," Schmeichel told GOAL. "First of all, not playing behind a consistent defence. That's a problem as a goalkeeper. You can be the best goalkeeper in the world but if your defence is not protecting you you have a problem. Secondly, the goal he conceded in Munich was unlucky, if you do that for Inter or Ajax it goes away within a week or two. You do that for Man Utd, it stays and you will be a goalkeeper who makes mistakes. That's just the cruel reality of playing for Man Utd."

Schmeichel, talking on behalf of Panini, who today launch their Official Premier League Trading Card game Adrenalyn XL, believes Onana soon settled into life with United and had a strong finish to the campaign, which ended with the Red Devils stunning Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

"I saw a lot of improvements with different things in his game over the season. What I particularly liked was he looked like he was enjoying it more and more, that's the first step towards becoming the one that you want in goal," Schmeichel added. "He needs help like any other goalkeeper in the world, he needs a defence in front of him. If he's got that I'm sure we'll have a world-class top quality goalkeeper who will do well."

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Schmeichel spoke of his fascination for collecting football stickers when he was growing up. "My first one was the 1974 World Cup. Obviously we didn't have too many things to do with football, there was no Internet, so all of a sudden you had these stickers with all the teams in the World Cup," he recalled. "It became a really big thing between me and my friends and everybody else, you'd get the album filled in first, trading cards, it was a fantastic way to get to know the players playing in the World Cup."

The Red Devils kick off the new season on Friday against Fulham. Schmeichel, who won four league titles, three FA Cups and the Champions League with United, is hopeful that Erik ten Hag's side can improve on last year's miserable showing in the Premier League. However, he admitted it was unlikely they would be able to challenge Manchester City or Arsenal for the title.

"Expect is the wrong word, it's more hope. I'm hoping for better. I want to see them win the Premier League but I don't think that's realistic," Schmeichel said. "As a pundit I don't think we've done anything in the transfer window that is above what our competition has done. Have we done enough? Yes we were hampered with injuries last season but is that going to be better? Hojlund, Yoro, Shaw [who are injured already]. We're playing Fulham at Old Trafford, normally you think it's a game where you get three points and make a good start. You have to win that game but there are no easy games in the Premier League. It's going to be tough, it will give us an indication of where we are."