Rio Ferdinand backs Senne Lammens to be Man Utd No.1 for 'next ten years' after bringing much-needed 'calmness'

Lammens has enjoyed a remarkable rise at Old Trafford since his deadline-day arrival from Antwerp last summer. The 23-year-old was integrated into the starting line-up in early October and has since become a mainstay, making 31 appearances across all competitions. His recent performance in a goalless draw against Sunderland, where he produced vital saves to deny Noah Sadiki and Brian Brobbey, further cemented his reputation as a reliable last line of defence.

Speaking on his podcast, 'Rio Ferdinand Presents', the former United captain expressed his admiration for the young shot-stopper's psychological strength and technical consistency. Ferdinand said: "The calmness that he's brought, the amount of saves that he's made and the difference-making that he's made with this team, I don't think you can put a number on that. He's been superb and he's young. That's what I love about him, he's young, he's still going to be getting more experiences and he's only going to get better from now on."

With seven clean sheets and 75 saves already recorded this season, Lammens has justified the club’s decision to hand him a contract until June 2030. Ferdinand believes the goalkeeper’s temperament is his greatest asset for the long term.

He added: "I don't think it matters how good or bad he plays, I think he'll be the same level - very level-headed and he won't get out of his pram too much about anything. I think he's one for the next 10 years at Manchester United, he's going to be the No.1. He's someone again, got a definite great foundation to start building from what he's shown this season."

Having already secured Champions League qualification for next season, United host Nottingham Forest this Sunday, before concluding their campaign at Brighton a week later. Lammens faces a testing end to the season as United look to improve a defensive record that has seen 37 goals conceded during his 30 Premier League outings. These final fixtures provide the Belgian with an ideal opportunity to further consolidate his role as the club's long-term solution between the posts ahead of a return to Europe's elite competition.