"It is not enough for my personality" - Manchester United star hints at frustration over lack of first-team opportunities
Altay Bayindir has suggested he's growing impatient with his bit-part role at Manchester United and wants more game time. The Turkish goalkeeper joined the Red Devils last summer from Fenerbahce but made just one appearance across competitions.
The 26-year-old shot-stopper could make his second appearance in his side's Carabao Cup third-round clash with Barnsley tonight (September 17). Erik ten Hag's men host the EFL League One outfit at Old Trafford.
Bayindir spoke to Manchester United's club programme, United Review, ahead of the game. He touched on waiting for his opportunity to shine:
"I need to be ready always and I’m just waiting. I’m just working hard and, if you are a football player, you don’t know when a chance can come to you. And you need to be ready."
Bayindir has played backup to Andre Onana throughout his spell with the Red Devils. He expressed dissatisfaction with his game time last season:
"I didn’t get a long time of chances last year, I was just playing one game. And it is not enough for my personality but, in life, anything can happen. You just need to be focused. You need to work hard and everything can change in this life."
Manchester United paid a reported £4.2 million for Bayindir in September 2023. The Turkiye international replaced Dean Henderson, who was similarly frustrated with his first-team opportunities at Old Trafford before leaving for Crystal Palace.
"We have to rotate" - Erik ten Hag suggests Manchester United's fringe players will get chances
Bayindir is one of several members of the Manchester United squad who are eager to earn more game time under Ten Hag. The Dutch coach was dealt an injury crisis last season that plagued his team selections for most of the campaign.
Ten Hag spoke positively about the squad and how he hopes for selection headaches. He said ahead of the Barnsley game (via the club's official website):
"I hope I have headaches, because, last year, I also had headaches but there were no players available! So I hope I have many players available and we can make a selection from game to game. Definitely, we have to rotate because we have to cover so many games and so it’s not only about a starting XI. That is a nice headache."
Due to a neverending injury toll, the Red Devils fielded 16 different defensive lineups last season. That situation has been rectified following the arrivals of Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, and Leny Yoro, although the latter is sidelined.