When Altay Bayindir enters the small away dressing room at Rodney Parade on Sunday and turns right to get into the tunnel, he’ll have to stoop his head.
The 6 foot 6 inch goalie will make his Manchester United debut after his teammates make their way across the amber carpet that surrounds the pitch.
For Bayindir, it has been a long wait since he signed with United for £4.3 million in early September. While Andre Onana has started each game this season, he has patiently sat on the bench for nearly five months. While Onana is in Ivory Coast for the Africa Cup of Nations, his understudy will get his opportunity to shine in South Wales.
In November, Bayindir made his final first-team appearance 16 miles away in Cardiff as a substitute for Turkey’s Euro 2024 qualification match against Wales.
To make his United debut and become the club’s first Turkish player, Bayindir likely would not have chosen an FA Cup quarterfinal away match against League Two opponents. The 25-year-old will play half of the match with his back against a makeshift stand that increases the capacity to nine thоusand.
Is it possible that Newport can take advantage of this? The manager of Newport, Graham Coughlan, makes a joke about how important it is to enter United’s half first. We may be able to try out the replacement goalie if we can cross the midway point.
A new goalkeeper will be introduced because Onana has already left for the Africa Cup of Nations and will not be returning. There is a reason why anybody they choose to start in the Premier League is a top player.We have no idea if it’s the debutant. On Sunday, we will attend to that.
Even in this harsh environment, Bayindir will remain unfazed. Remember, this is a goalie with five years of experience playing in Turkey, a country that doesn’t exactly welcome wimps.
At the age of fifteen, he uprooted his life in Bursa and headed for Anakara, the capital of Turkey. He took over as captain of Ankaragucu in three years and Fenerbache in two years after that.
The idea that Bayindir, with his towering stature, would be more suited to the position of goalkeeper originally came from his mother. From that point on, her son has shown remarkable maturity for his age by devoting himself to becoming intellectually and physically ready.
While not engrossed in chess, Bayindir enjoys reading poetry and books on self-improvement. He reportedly wants to learn Spanish and Dutch next, but he is already quite fluent in English thanks to lessons he began when playing for Fenerbache.
Upon arriving in England, he sought the assistance of a nutritionist, in addition to a personal trainer and physical therapist.
Perhaps it’s because worries that Bayindir had never fully recovered from his shoulder surgery in 2021 and his procedure to repair a back hernia early last year overshadowed his last season with Fenerbahce. Some of his supporters betrayed him.
United boss Erik ten Hag signed his former Ajax No. 1 for £47.3 million last summer and has started him in every game despite rumors that he isn’t strong enough to handle crosses for a goalkeeper of his height and isn’t quite up to speed like Onana.
However, Onana has experienced enough setbacks during his debut season at Old Trafford to warrant further consideration. Bayindir is finally getting his shot after all this time. He should grab it by the horns now.