Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana draws inspiration from Muhammad Ali and believes in his team’s potential to achieve success.
Despite facing criticism for some costly errors earlier in his debut season with the club, Onana has shown improvement since his return from the AFCON campaign with Cameroon.
He attributes his mental strength, inspired by Ali, as a significant factor in his resilience and determination.
He told Inside United: “It’s his mindset. It was nothing easy. He had to pass through a lot of difficulties and he was only looking at the positive side, the positive parts. He was very positive and that is what I like.
“You know, no matter what happens in life, I’ve always said that it cannot rain forever: the sun will shine. And yet, the sun will not shine forever; the rain will come. So just find a good balance, especially when you are a football player.
“When you have a bad day, a better day will come. It’s not when you are having a bad day that you feel it will never change. It will change but it’s not because you are having a good day that it will stay forever.
“Everything is temporary and you have to know how to manage that. When you are in a bad mood, take a positive. When you are in a good mood, take a positive. Just enjoy yourself, be happy, be with the people you love and always stay positive.”
Onana also expressed his belief that United can go on and achieve tangible success: “I’m very happy to be here, like I said, I’m happy to be part of this family, a big group with great guys, young players, there’s some amazing ability here. It will come, you know. Principles: do your hard work, be positive and believe in yourself. It will come.”
It has been a gradual process for Onana to adjust to life at Old Trafford, as he admitted it took him around “six to seven months” to feel settled after his transfer.
Manchester United has faced a challenging season overall, currently sitting in sixth place in the Premier League, trailing nine points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa.
Their disappointing European campaign saw them eliminated from the Champions League after finishing at the bottom of their group.
With their only remaining chance for silverware in the FA Cup, United will be aiming to capitalise on their recent 4-3 victory over Liverpool and progress to the final, where they will face Championship side Coventry City in the semi-finals.