'In one week, your life can change' - Man Utd hail 'hero' Bayindir - Voice of Asia

Life as a backup goalkeeper can be challenging, especially when playing for a world-class club. Altay Bayındır experienced such difficulties; last December, he faced criticism after conceding a direct goal from a Son Heung-min corner in the 88th minute during Manchester United's League Cup quarter-final against Tottenham Hotspur, a match United ultimately lost 3-4.

However, just a month later, in one of his rare appearances, his manager, Ruben Amorim, praised him as "our hero." The 26-year-old Turkish international made crucial contributions to the team's victory in the FA Cup third-round match against Arsenal, saving penalties in the shootout after a 1-1 draw. Since joining Manchester United from Fenerbahçe for £4.3 million in September 2023, Bayındır's opportunities have been limited to cup competitions, making a total of four appearances in the League Cup and FA Cup this season.

After experiencing the loss against Tottenham Hotspur and external doubts about his abilities, Bayındır earned praise following the victory over the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium. Despite Diogo Dalot's red card in the 61st minute, which led to extra time, Bayındır's outstanding performance helped the team secure the win. "As a footballer, you have ups and downs in your career," admitted Manchester United manager Amorim. "Sometimes your life changes within a week, and Altay proved that. Against Tottenham, everyone was worried about Altay, I understand that, but today he is our hero."

Amorim continued, "He is a good guy, he works very hard, and life is full of good things. All the players in this team have opportunities, and they are lucky to play for Manchester United. Whether you play once or 90 times, it is a pleasure to play for this club." Bayındır changed the course of the game by saving Martin Ødegaard’s penalty in the 72nd minute. At that point, Arsenal could have taken a 2-1 lead with a man advantage. Inspired, Manchester United showed defensive resolve, dragging the game into a penalty shootout, where Bayındır once again saved a low shot from Kai Havertz, the only miss of the nine-penalty shootout.

These saves made him the first Premier League goalkeeper in FA Cup history to save penalties in both regular time and a penalty shootout in the same match since the 2013-14 season. After the match, Bayındır, named man of the match, said he only wanted to "help this great team." He added, "I want to make everyone at this great club happy. I work hard here every day. It doesn't matter if you don't play. You have to be ready at all times. If you are a Manchester United player, you have to be ready."

Former England striker Alan Shearer stated on the BBC's "Match of the Day" program that the goalkeeper was "absolutely superb." He added, "He stayed calm and didn't blink first. When you get the chance, you have to take it, and he did that today." Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, whose brilliant goal was equalized by Gabriel for Arsenal, added, "It’s an important moment for him, first penalty save, another penalty save, we are really happy for him. It’s tough being a backup goalkeeper. He’s here to play, every time he has the opportunity he’s a top player for us, he’s great in training, he’s always helping, he deserves this moment."