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Manchester United’s history of signing backup goalkeepers has been a fascinating mix, featuring everything from World Cup winners to unlikely heroes who came to Sir Alex Ferguson’s rescue.

The Red Devils are reportedly in the market for a new No.2, preparing for the possible departure of Altay Bayindir.

Whoever steps in to support Senne Lammens will be following in the footsteps of some remarkable — and some rather forgettable — names in United’s goalkeeping lineage.

When Sir Alex Ferguson brought in a 32-year-old backup from Luton Town on loan in December 1989, few could have foreseen what was to come. That same month, the infamous banner reading, “Three years of excuses and it’s still crap. Ta ra Fergie,” was unveiled at the Stretford End. Six months later, after just two First Division appearances, Les Sealey was thrust into the limelight for the FA Cup final replay against Crystal Palace after Ferguson dropped Jim Leighton.

Palace players thought the new keeper could be intimidated. “Being a profound and deep-thinking person, I told them to f*** off,” Sealey recalled. But their efforts to rattle him failed. Sealey was outstanding in the win, marking the start of Ferguson’s golden era at United.

Sealey retained his place the following season, keeping goal in United’s 2-1 victory over Barcelona in the European Cup Winners’ Cup final. Remarkably, he played that match in Rotterdam with a heavily strapped knee after suffering a deep cut to the bone in the League Cup final weeks earlier. Despite being told to come off, Sealey refused, hobbling through the final minutes. The wound later became infected, and doctors believed that had he boarded the flight home, he might have lost his leg — or worse.

Sealey left United after Peter Schmeichel’s arrival but returned a year later as backup, collecting two Premier League titles and an FA Cup medal as a substitute. His final four matches for United were all high-profile fixtures — including two League Cup finals, a European Cup Winners’ Cup final, and an FA Cup quarter-final.

Rangers legend Andy Goram shared in his autobiography how he joined United from Motherwell on a three-month loan in March 2001. “When I had three months left on my contract, they told me I wouldn’t be offered a new one. Then one morning, Ally McCoist called, and shortly after, Walter Smith told me to keep my phone on because someone important would call. Minutes later, Sir Alex Ferguson rang, saying, ‘We’ve got Bayern Munich on Wednesday and Liverpool at the weekend. Barthez is injured, and Van der Gouw is struggling. I need you on loan.’ I thought it was Coisty joking, so I hung up. When the phone rang again, my partner Miriam answered, and it really was Ferguson.”

The 37-year-old never played against Bayern or Liverpool but featured twice for United before the season ended — not bad for one of Scotland’s finest goalkeepers.

Fraser Digby, best known for over 420 appearances with Swindon Town, began his career as a United apprentice before leaving for Swindon at 19. Six years later, with Peter Schmeichel needing cover and Digby out of favour at Swindon under Glenn Hoddle, he was invited back to Old Trafford.

“I said, ‘I’ll start walking now!’” Digby told The Washbag. “I went from being dropped to training with United’s stars. Working with Peter Schmeichel was probably the best two months of my entire career.” Interestingly, Digby joined in November 1992 — the same month United signed Eric Cantona.

Lisandro Martinez and Angel Di Maria recently took the tally of World Cup winners to have played for United to 14. Among them was Victor Valdes, though his stint at Old Trafford was far from glamorous.

Valdes joined United in January 2015, reuniting with Louis van Gaal after their Barcelona days. Having left Barca the previous summer and seen a move to Monaco collapse due to injury, Valdes arrived as backup to David De Gea — who was still being linked with Real Madrid.

Valdes finally made his debut when De Gea was injured against Arsenal near the end of the season, then started against Hull a week later, keeping a clean sheet in a match otherwise remembered for Di Maria’s final appearance.

But Valdes’ time at United quickly unraveled. Known for speaking his mind, Valdes challenged Van Gaal’s methods in front of teammates — a move that led to his exile. “He is not selected because he doesn’t follow our philosophy,” Van Gaal said in July 2015. “For example, last year, he refused to play in the second team.”

Van Gaal ordered his locker cleared and barred him from training with even the Under-21s. Valdes trained independently with an academy coach before joining Standard Liege on loan and later moving to Middlesbrough in 2016.

Despite everything, Valdes harboured no ill will. “I don’t have bad words for Van Gaal or Manchester United,” he said. “They helped me through my injury. The manager gave me my chance at Barcelona and again at United. He’s like a father figure — I want to remember only the good.”

Before joining Stoke City as cover for another United backup, Lee Grant had spent 14 years in the Football League, mostly with Derby, Sheffield Wednesday, and Burnley. When Jack Butland’s injury opened the door, Grant seized his chance — even earning Stoke’s Player of the Season award in 2016-17.

Though Stoke were relegated the following year, Grant’s standout performance at Old Trafford lingered in United’s memory. At 35, he joined Mourinho’s squad as one of two backups alongside Sergio Romero.

Over the course of his time at Old Trafford, Grant played just twice but signed multiple contract extensions, taking on a behind-the-scenes role — collecting cones and making tea, as he joked — with trademark professionalism.

When United signed Martin Dubravka from Newcastle United, there was an impression he could challenge David De Gea for the starting spot. The Slovakian international joined on loan in summer 2022 for £2 million, with an obligation to buy for £6 million if he played a certain number of Premier League matches — a number he never reached, recording zero league appearances.

Dubravka did feature twice in the Carabao Cup but looked rusty without regular football. Newcastle recalled him in January, realising the move benefited neither club. Ironically, his brief spell worked out well for United — his League Cup appearances cup-tied him, preventing him from facing United in the 2023 final, forcing Newcastle to turn to Loris Karius. United won, giving Dubravka a winner’s medal against his parent club.

He later earned another medal in 2025 when Newcastle beat Liverpool in the final before moving to Burnley, where he stood out in a tough season.

Finally, there was Jack Butland. After joining his boyhood club to replace Dubravka on Erik ten Hag’s bench, he never made a single appearance. It was a far cry from his early promise — the same goalkeeper who earned nine England caps between 2012 and 2018. His move to Crystal Palace in 2020 stalled his momentum, and when both his loan and contract ended, Butland opted for a fresh start at Rangers, where he remains the first-choice keeper.