Andre Onana: Cameroon keeper reflects on rocky Manchester United stint

Andre Onana is another Manchester United loanee making waves away from Old Trafford.

Much like Marcus Rashford , he is rediscovering his mojo, delivering standout performances between the sticks for Trabzonspor.

Across six league appearances, he has kept two clean sheets and posted a save rate of 77.8%, his best since the 2016–17 season with Ajax.

His latest shutout came in a 2–0 win over Eyupspor, where he produced a goalkeeping masterclass that earned him the nickname “The Wall”.

– Saturday, 25 October 2025

Beyond his commendable form on the pitch, reports suggest Onana has also emerged as a dressing room leader.

Everything coming out of Papara Park paints a positive picture; he appears to have turned a corner following that embarrassing spell at Old Trafford.

In a candid chat with Trabzon Dergisi, as cited by Turkish-football.com , the Cameroon international opened up about his resurgence:

“I never fear anyone. Because in this life, I only fear God,” he said, explaining his goalkeeping philosophy.

“Therefore, to be honest, no one can scare me. For me, most of the time, the important thing is to try to do what’s best for the team.”

He was then asked about his ball-playing style, the very trait that saw Erik ten Hag push hard to bring him to the Theatre of Dreams, even letting the great David de Gea leave to pull off the deal.

On that, he admitted:

“If I need to play out from the back, I first analyse. Is the opponent pressing? Are they pressing with the winger, the striker, or are their centre-backs stepping up? These are the things I need to see when the ball is at my feet. I track how the opponent moves and look at the options before making my decision.”

He then addressed the elephant in the room, his United struggles.

“Looking back, my career has really been amazing,” he said, sidestepping direct comment on his time in Manchester.

“There have been many ups and downs in this process, but that also meant a lot of learning moments, a lot of experiences. Coming from Cameroon and playing in Barcelona, Ajax, Inter, Manchester, and now in Trabzonspor is magnificent.”

Playing for United, the most decorated English club with 20 league titles, remains a dream for many.

So Onana’s appreciation of his time there, despite its challenges, feels both honest and dignified.

That said, in the Turkish Super Lig, he has clearly found his rhythm again.

Unfortunately for Onana, his time at United looks to be over.

INEOS have already moved on, securing Senne Lammens, a Belgian shot-stopper widely tipped to anchor the club’s goalkeeping department for years to come .

Hopefully, Onana’s current form earns him a permanent switch to Trabzonspor.

While his deal was a straight loan with no option to buy , his performances could yet prompt the club to pursue a permanent deal, that is, unless another top European side moves first to beat them to his signature.

A sale next summer would also boost United’s transfer kitty as they continue assembling Ruben Amorim’s dream team.

Featured image Ahmad Moura via Getty Images

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