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Manchester United have recently signed up veteran keeper Tom Heaton to a new one-year deal.
The 39 year old did not play in any game last season with Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir covering goal in every match.
Long United history
Heaton joined the academy as a youngster but left the club in 2010 for Cardiff City after failing to make a senior appearance.
He would enjoy successful spells with Burnley and Aston Villa in the Premier League before rejoining United in 2021.
The keeper has only played three matches for the club and he has not stood between the posts in a competitive match since the 2022/2023 season.
For that reason, he rather surprisingly signed a new deal with the club this summer to extend his stay one more year.
Heaton’s delight at new deal
Speaking to the club’s official website about his new deal, Heaton claimed “it’s obviously a privilege for anyone who gets the opportunity to extend their stay at a club like this.”
The keeper did admit that it has been hard not to play competitive football over recent years but that there is much more that has gone into his decision to renew at the club.
He elaborated, “there’s a lot of factors that go into the decision. I’ll be the first to say I’ve not played an awful lot of football over the last few weeks. I’ve still got that drive and desire to play.”
The former Burnley keeper also claimed that his support of the club has also heavily influenced his desire to stay in spite of the lack of playing time.
Heaton also spoke on the fact that despite the failings of last season, “the club demands success” and that there is a real “foundation” to achieve this with the current squad.
Leadership role
The United man also spoke on his responsibility to help guide the younger players in the squad due to his vast experience of the club.
It was reported that United had originally planned to offer Heaton a coaching role and that may be something in the works for the future.
Opening up on his role in the squad he claimed, “the values of this football club are ingrained inside me and I want to make sure that new players who come into the building have an understanding of what the club means to the fans, what the traditions are, what the values are, as well as accepting that it also requires a period to evolve.”
The 39 year old finally waxed lyrical on captain Bruno Fernandes by asserting, “Bruno and I have a brilliant relationship, so I try and help him in any way I possibly can. I think he does a magnificent job.”
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