18 May 2026 12:31 BST |
5 min read
Manchester United are set to officially announce a new one-year contract for Tom Heaton, despite the fact he hasn’t played for the club since 2023.
The former England international, who turned 40 years old last month, has been Man Utd’s third-choice goalkeeper since he returned to Old Trafford in 2021 and he is currently behind Senne Lammens and Altay Bayindir in the pecking order.
Heaton, who initially joined Man Utd’s academy back in 2002, has just over one month remaining on his current deal at Old Trafford, but he will sign a one-year extension to keep him at the club until at least 2027, as confirmed by multiple sources, including The Sun and Manchester Evening News.
The ex-Burnley shot-stopper has been named on the substitutes bench for four Premier League matches this season and it’s understood that he has helped Lammens adapt to English football since his arrival from Royal Antwerp last year.
Furthermore, with Bayindir and Andre Onana (currently on loan at Trabzonspor) both set to depart Man Utd on permanent deals this summer, keeping Heaton at the club is seen as a sensible move by the Red Devils hierarchy, who are expected to formally announce his new deal shortly.
Tom Heaton is ‘very important’ for Man Utd – Casemiro
Although Heaton hasn’t played for Man Utd for three years, he remains a key part of the first-team squad at Old Trafford, as confirmed by Red Devils star Casemiro during a recent interview with Rio Ferdinand.
“He [Heaton] is very important. Very important for us,” Casemiro admitted to the former Man Utd defender.
“He pushes the training, he pushes in the game, of course, he doesn’t play, but he pushes every time. For me, everyone needs this guy; he helps the room so much.”
Tom Heaton’s favourite United moments as a fan and player are tough to beat! 👀☕️#MUFC || #Melitta
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) April 15, 2024
Explainer: Why Tom Heaton contract extension will help Man Utd comply with UEFA regulations
While it may not seem like a big deal, Heaton’s new contract is vitally important to Man Utd ahead of their return to the Champions League next season.
UEFA rules stipulate that all clubs competing in Europe must include at least eight ‘association-trained’ players in their squad, four of which must be ‘club-trained’ players.
To qualify for the latter, a player must have spent a minimum of three consecutive seasons at the club between the ages of 15 and 21. Heaton fits that requirement for Man Utd, alongside Luke Shaw and Amad Diallo.
The retirement of Jonny Evans and the likely sale of Marcus Rashford mean that keeping Heaton at the club is crucial for Man Utd to comply with UEFA squad rules. Toby Collyer and Radek Vitek would both count as homegrown players if they return to Old Trafford following loan spells away this season.
Meanwhile, Harry Maguire and Mason Mount both qualify as ‘association-trained’ players, meaning they were ‘club-trained’ by another club in the same country.
Kobbie Mainoo still qualifies for Man Utd’s ‘B List’ as he was born after 1 January 2005 and has spent more than two years at the club. He therefore doesn’t need to be included in the 25-man ‘A List’ squad for the Champions League.
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