Fans' Q&A: Andre Onana (2024)

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Editorial Team

Manchester United's no.1 finished his maiden season at Old Trafford on a high, with a strong performance in the historic Emirates FA Cup final win over Manchester City.

Onana twice denied ferocious shots from Kyle Walker and, while the Cameroonian was disappointed not to have kept out Jeremy Doku's late consolation, the 28-year-old played a vital role throughout our cup run, notably in the semi-final penalty shootout against Coventry City.

Once we'd compiled all your questions and selected the best, we put them to Andre at Carrington, and the answers he delivered were as interesting as you'd expect. Read the interview in full below...

Fans' Q&A: Andre Onana Video

FANS' Q&A | Onana reveals the Reds midfielder that inspired him, how many languages he speaks, and much more...

Dev, Mumbai: Who was your favourite former Manchester United player before you joined the club?"Before I joined the club, a lot of them! A lot! As a goalkeeper, you have Schmeichel, you have Edwin... I was with him at Ajax. He was such a big goalkeeper who played already here. But not only them, because I'm a goalkeeper who likes to play from the back and take a lot of risks. I remember when I was at Barcelona, I used to watch Paul Scholes, and I fell in love with the way he was playing long balls. He was just amazing. You had a lot of good players. All of them, they were inspirational for me, because at the end of the day, they achieved a lot of good things with this club, and we are here to try and follow what they did for us. Because they opened doors for us."

Emma, UK: How many languages do you speak and does this help when communicating with your team-mates?"I speak four languages, but I understand a fifth one, Dutch. It helps a lot. United is a wonderful club, it's a very big club full of players who are coming from everywhere. You have players who are coming from Brazil, from Portugal. You have players who are Spanish, you have players who are speaking French, you have players who are speaking English. So I have to be able to speak to all of them. When I play with Lisandro, I speak in Spanish. When I play with Raphael Varane, I speak in French. When I speak with Jonny Evans, I speak in English. So I have to be able to speak with all of them in their comfortable language. It's not easy, because sometimes I struggle. Instead of speaking in English, I speak in Spanish maybe! But the fact I speak a lot of languages helps a lot for the communication, and this gives me a lot of confidence and for my defenders as well."

Andre has picked up the Premier League accolade for his superb stop against Burnley.

Jia Hao, China: What advice do you have for any young, aspiring goalkeepers?"Well, I have so many [pieces of] advice for them. Before I give the advice, I would like to say something. My way of playing changed in 2014, the World Cup in Brazil, because I was watching Germany play, and there was someone who changed my way of thinking: Manuel Neuer. After that, I realised in the last 10 years or the last 20 years, being goalkeeper is the position which already changed the most. Goalkeepers are extra players. Playing with a lot of personality, with a lot of character, taking a lot of risks. Because of him, I changed my way of playing.

Onana's highlights at Wembley Video

Player highlights | Andre Onana's performance against Coventry included two world-class saves, plus THAT penalty stop...

James, USA: What was it like to play your first-ever game at Old Trafford?"It was brilliant, it was amazing, it was nice, it was special to play in this beautiful stadium. It's one of the biggest in the world, in terms of history. It's something nice, such a great feeling. It's wonderful. Can you feel the history? Yes, 100 per cent. Not only the first time. Every game you play in Old Trafford, it's not easy, because this stadium, this club, has a big history, so it's a big responsibility to be part of this team. Playing there is something amazing but, as I said before, the club has a big history, so you have to be able to continue that history. It's not something easy, but in the meantime it's extra motivation when you play in front of these amazing fans. It's something nice, because they are always there with you, supporting us when things are good, when things are bad. I think you only get that here."

Vikram, Mumbai: Which actor would play you in a film about your life?

"I don't know who it would be, because there are so many good actors who would be even better than me with my life! I don't know which I can pick, but a lot of them could play that role."

Onana’s top five saves from March Video

Onana’s March highlights | Andre made great stops in all four fixtures to deservedly win Player of the Month…

Ntakeko, South Africa: How does it make you feel to know you have fans supporting you not just here in Manchester but all around the world?"It's something amazing. Like I said, we know we are one of the biggest clubs in the world. Every time you wear this shirt, you know you are not alone, and it's something special. They are with us in victory, they are also with us in defeat. That makes you feel like we are together, it doesn't matter what happens. This is something amazing."

Karn, Mumbai: Which former team-mate of yours has had the biggest influence on your career?

"Well, normally I'm the one who has influence on other players, because I have a big personality and I'm someone who's very positive. I like to have a good connection with people. But in the past also, I had good team-mates. I had people who helped me when I was in a bad mood, when I was a little bit down. I will say, last season in Inter, it was Denzel Dumfries. We had a very good connection. In Ajax, Bertrand Traore. Lisandro Martinez, when he was there, was just top."

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