Peter Schmeichel is a big fan of Andre Onana playing for Manchester United despite flying out for the Africa Cup of Nations hours later to represent Cameroon.
On Sunday afternoon, Andre Onana was part of the Manchester United team that recorded a 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur and then on Monday evening his country was opening their AFCON duties.
For the first time since buying a 25% stake in the club, Jim Ratcliffe was in attendance at Old Trafford to watch Erik ten Hag’s side drop more points in the Premier League.
But Peter Schmeichel suggested that the British billionaire is going to be impressed by Andre Onana’s actions because having him in the stands now ‘means something’, as he told Premier League Productions (14/01/24 at 4:25 pm).
A lot of criticism has been thrown at the Manchester United players over the years from their lack of quality to their inability to fight to win.
But the desire of Andre Onana and pure willingness to play for the club can’t be questioned here, which was highlighted by a man who did it all during his playing days.
Andre Onana from Manchester United to Africa Cup of Nations
“These players will go on the pitch and say ‘this will mean something to me’,” said Schmeichel.
“I like the idea that Onana is actually in goal against Spurs. He will leave straight after the game to fly to the Ivory Coast to play for his country 24 hours after this.
“That, for me, is great that a player who wants to do that and put himself through that. I think it should be like that. That’s Man United players wanting to play for this club that much, so having Jim Ratcliffe in the stands should mean something.”
Andre Onana left out
Whilst every single player competing either, in the Africa Cup of Nations or the Asian Cup, have already left, the fact that Onana stayed on for another week, says a lot about what repping Man United means to him.
The £47 million signing didn’t probably expect to start Cameroon’s game against Guinea, which kicked off on Monday evening, but he wouldn’t have been able to feature, even if he wanted to.
The simple reason is that his plane was forced to land 100 miles away from where his nation is playing (talkSPORT).
Yes, it didn’t go as he would have liked. But, Man United fans will say, it’s the thought that counts.
The post 'Having Jim Ratcliffe means something': Peter Schmeichel lauds the actions of £47m Man United star appeared first on HITC.
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