Why Tom Heaton is much more than ‘just’ a third-choice goalkeeper for Manchester United

In one of Casemiro’s final interviews while at Manchester United, Rio Ferdinand asks the Brazilian who he considers to be the loudest voices at the club.

The pair are stood in the Old Trafford dressing room as the midfielder, a five-time Champions League winner, mentions Diogo Dalot and, of course, captain Bruno Fernandes.

Ferdinand is almost taken aback when Casemiro turns to look for the spot of another unlikely leader, third-choice goalkeeper Tom Heaton.

His answer in the Rio Meets interview will go some way to explaining why United gave the 40-year-old goalkeeper a new one-year contract last week.

“Tom Heaton is very important for us — he pushes the training, he pushes before the game, he doesn’t play but he pushes every time,” said Casemiro.

“Every dressing room needs one Tom. Everyone needs this guy because he helps in the room so much.”

Considering the status of Casemiro, that is a serious compliment. He is far from the only one who has the same opinion.

Academy graduate Heaton has made just three first-team appearances for United since he returned to the club in 2021 after leaving Aston Villa. The last of those was the Carabao Cup semi-final second-leg win against Nottingham Forest in February 2023. He can claim to have not conceded a first-team goal in five years at the club.

His impact, though, has been more significant off the pitch. That is why United have not hesitated in extending his deal, keeping him as the third-choice goalkeeper again next season.

As Casemiro pointed out, Heaton ensures standards are maintained. He came through the club’s academy and into the first-team dressing room when United were among the best teams in Europe and Sir Alex Ferguson was leading them to trophy after trophy.

Ferdinand admitted in his interview with Casemiro that United’s stars were hard on the young Heaton back then. They would drill into him the standards that have to be met in terms of preparation and performance level, not just in games but also in training, even if he never made a first-team appearance during that first spell.

It is something he has carried with him throughout his career. He had six loan spells before moving to Cardiff City in 2010, then Bristol City, before joining Burnley, where he established himself by making 200 appearances and also earning three England caps.

During his time at Turf Moor, one figure at the club described him as a “leader of men”. He was part of Sean Dyche’s leadership group and known for being demanding in training of team-mates in terms of performance and behaviour, having a huge influence on younger players and being exceptionally organised, as well as being extremely well-liked.

That continues at Old Trafford. His last league appearance came for Villa against Burnley in January 2020, when he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury. He moved back to United in the summer of 2021. Of his three appearances since then, one came as a substitute in the Champions League and the other two were in the Carabao Cup. That last appearance was 1,225 days ago.

He prepares himself to ensure he is ready in case there comes a time he is needed again on the pitch. There have been opportunities to leave in the past five years but he enjoys being back at the club and living in the area, not far from where he grew up.

It is still a frustration not to play, of course, but he understands his role in the squad.

Director of football Jason Wilcox said of his contract announcement last week: “We are delighted that Tom is continuing for another year. Everyone is well aware of the importance of his leadership and professionalism within the group.”

Heaton is a key link between coaching staff and players. He ensures messages are relayed properly and brings queries to the coaching staff if players are unsure.

He has not decided about his career after playing but is preparing for the next chapter. The Chester-born goalkeeper has completed UEFA A and B Licence courses for outfield coaching, and holds a UEFA certificate in football management and a distinction in a sporting director course. He has also done an executive leadership course through Oxford University.

“I’ve done a few different things over the years, just to upskill in areas off the pitch I might not fully understand,” Heaton told the club’s official media channels in January.

“It’s been a good journey, I’ve met some brilliant people along the way. I’m still not 100 per cent sure what direction I’m going to go in once I’ve finished playing.

“I still feel quite good at this moment in time but, of course, it’s coming at some point. I’m open-minded is the honest answer.”

Heaton is important for Fernandes, too. The Portuguese playmaker regularly asks his advice when it comes to making leadership decisions away from the pitch.

But it is how he is with Senne Lammens that has greatly impressed United staff. Last summer, the club opted to sign the 23-year-old Belgian goalkeeper over the more experienced Emiliano Martinez, then 32, from Villa.

The fee, scouting reports and the huge potential they saw in Lammens were all important, but United staff also knew they had an experienced goalkeeper at the club to help guide someone who had never played in England.

Heaton worked hard with Lammens to prepare him for the demands of the Premier League and gave advice on different teams, players and stadiums. That helped Lammens settle.

Those who also do not play regularly are reminded by him that performances in training need to be maintained, if not through words, then simply by how he goes about the sessions.

He also tells younger players of their responsibilities of playing for a club of such stature.

When younger players come up from the academy sides to train with the first team, he knows most by name and regularly helps out with club initiatives with the under-age groups, of which his son is a part.

It is not just United who recognise his leadership qualities and standards. Gareth Southgate brought him to Euro 2024 to be a training goalkeeper for the England squad. There, he worked with Steve Holland, who is now Michael Carrick’s assistant coach. Both are impressed with him.

If being praised by Casemiro, being such a pivotal part of United’s dressing room and having an University of Oxford education is not enough, Heaton claims to be faster than former Formula 1 driver Jenson Button.

At least, on the Batak reaction wall, not in a race car.

The club believe Heaton has beaten Button’s Guinness World Record of 58 lights extinguished in 30 seconds but they need to have it adjudicated.

They have got another 12 months to sort that out now.