Andre Onana causes disagreement between former Man United team-mates
Two former Manchester United team-mates are at odds over whether Andre Onana should remain as the club's first-choice goalkeeper for the foreseeable future.
Edwin van der Sar and Ben Foster both know the pressures associated with playing between the sticks at Old Trafford. Onana's performance in goal has split opinions since he joined United from Inter Milan for an initial fee of £43.8m in July 2023 after receiving criticism for his inconsistency.
However, Van der Sar recently gave the 28-year-old his backing and suggested his abilities will improve over time. Speaking while attending bet365’s Never Ordinary Watchalong in London, the Dutchman said: "I think that it's quite early but Andre has a fantastic career in front of him. He's gaining more experience.
"He has all the qualities that a goalkeeper needs so I'm sure for the next five to six years he will keep improving. He has the right attitude to be the goalkeeper for Man United for a very long time."
The endorsement of Van der Sar will be music to Onana's ears after he was initially signed by United to be their ball-playing keeper, in keeping with the wider trend in top level football. This often requires them to be good with their feet to relieve pressure on defences and launch attacks.
However, Foster, who played for United for five years between July 2005 and May 2010, has questioned Onana's long-term credentials. Commenting on the current standard of keepers in the Premier League on his Fozcast podcast, the former Wrexham star said: "If you think about the top goalkeepers, they are trailblazing for how to be proper good goalkeepers such as Alisson, Ederson, [Emi] Martinez and [David] Raya, but there is a drop-off.
"Chelsea haven't really got a recognised number