In Manchester United's first pre-season game this summer, veteran goalkeeper Tom Heaton showed that he is still reliable in goal.

Facing Leeds United, Heaton came on in the second half and made several key saves to keep the goal intact, helping the team win 2-0. This friendly match in Stockholm is the first game of Manchester United's 2025 summer pre-season tour.

Heaton came on as a substitute in the second half and resolved dangerous situations many times, showing his excellent reaction ability and experience. Heaton, who recently renewed his contract with Manchester United, revealed that he is still eager to play for the team in official matches.

After the game, Heaton was interviewed and said: "I know I am old and in the later stages of my career, but the fire of desire to play is still burning."

"Whenever I have the opportunity, I will try my best to play my best performance. I made a few good saves today and hope to prove that I am still capable of contributing to the team."

Despite limited playing time, Heaton said he never gave up the goal of competing for a starting spot: "If I didn't believe I could win a chance to play, I wouldn't stay here. Competition is part of Manchester United's culture and no position should be an exception."

Currently, the main goalkeeper Andre Onana is absent due to injury, and Heaton and Baindi share playing time. He admitted that there were very few opportunities to play a full 90 minutes in the past year, but this also motivated him to devote himself to training day after day.

Looking ahead to the upcoming tour of the United States, Heaton hopes to continue to fight for playing time during this tour: "The tours to the United States in the past few years have been very exciting, and this time is no exception. No matter how many challenges there are in the preparation process of the season, I will do my best and be ready at all times."