Manchester United loanee Andre Onana is making a statement in Turkey, confidently rejecting the label of a ‘loser’ following his September departure from Old Trafford. Now on a straight loan at Trabzonspor, the Cameroonian goalkeeper insists his career remains “amazing” and stresses that he steps onto the pitch with no fear of any opponent.
Onana started the season as backup to Altay Bayındır after sustaining a pre-season injury. His opportunity to impress came in a match against Grimsby Town, but a poor performance sealed his fate with the Reds. Following the arrival of Senne Lammens on deadline day, United utilized Turkey’s extended transfer window to arrange the temporary move for Onana.
Finding Form in Turkey
Since his debut against Fenerbahçe, the 29-year-old has yet to lose a match with Trabzonspor and has secured two clean sheets in his last three appearances. His strong performances coincide with Trabzonspor’s climb to second place in the Super Lig table, just five points adrift of leaders Galatasaray, whom they face this Saturday.
In a recent interview with the official Trabzonspor magazine Trabzon Dergisi , Onana was unapologetically confident about his goalkeeping philosophy and mental approach to the game.
“I never fear anyone. Because in this life, I only fear God,” he explained. “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.”
Defending His Style and Career
While some Manchester United fans criticized his distribution during his brief time at the Theatre of Dreams, Onana detailed the methodical thinking behind his play-from-the-back style.
“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.”
The former Barcelona, Ajax, and Inter Milan player also refused to view his setback in Manchester as a failure, choosing instead to focus on the overall trajectory of his career.
“Looking back, my career has really been amazing,” he continued. “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.”
Onana believes every moment on the pitch is an opportunity, stating: “When I step onto the pitch, I either win or I learn. I don’t see myself as a loser.”
He cited his first match in Turkey as an example of this mindset. “Let me give you an example: my first match here was against Fenerbahce. We played well, but we didn’t win. But I don’t see it as a loss. I learned something, for instance, I learned how the referees are here.”
Onana and Trabzonspor will face their biggest test yet when they travel to table-toppers Galatasaray this weekend, in a match that could significantly tighten the Super Lig title race.
