Andre Onana: Why Goalkeepers Apply Vaseline on Their Gloves After Man United Ace Went Viral

• Andre Onana went viral on Sunday for his antics during the clash against Liverpool
• The goalkeeper appeared to apply a substance on his gloves during the tense game
• Onana made several crucial saves in an encounter that is quite historic in the EPL

Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana baffled fans on Sunday after appearing to apply Vaseline on his gloves during the Premier League clash against Liverpool.

The Red Devils played out an entertaining 2-2 draw against their fierce rivals in a game that could have gone much worse for Erik ten Hag’s side had Liverpool been more clinical.

Onana was particularly busy between the sticks, enduring a staggering 15 shots in the first half alone.

For this reason, it came as a surprise to many when he was spotted applying what looked like petroleum jelly on his gloves during the crunch encounter.

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On paper, the move seems like a bad idea as adding the substance to a surface typically tends to make it more slippery.

However, there is a perfectly valid reason behind Onana’s actions, and this was second time he was spotted applying something on his gloves. The first time was during a West Ham game.

Why do goalkeepers apply Vaseline?

As it turns out, the application of Vaseline on goalkeeping gloves is an underrated hack for the shot-stoppers.

Some of the best goalkeepers in the business including Manuel Neuer and England’s Jordan Pickford, also do this practice from time to time.

You probably have guessed it already, but Vaseline is believed to improve grip on gloves, particularly during wet conditions.

Manchester is currently experiencing adverse weather conditions, and the use of Vaseline by goalies is meant to improve the handling of the ball.

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According to The Athletic, Coventry City goalkeeper Ben Wilson recently disclosed that the practice is more common than fans imagine.

“A lot of the goalkeepers these days are wearing Vaseline on their gloves, and I won’t let myself do it,” he said.

“I worked with Martyn Margetson at Cardiff, and he told me to put Vaseline on. It was chucking it down and one of the guys did it and I could feel it then, it was unbelievable.”

Ben Foster, a former Man United goalie, also confirmed the practice had its advantages.

“It’s hard to explain, but if we were in a training session, I could tell which one had Vaseline on their gloves, because as soon as you caught the ball, it does feel grippier.”

Can it work in dry conditions?

Despite all the merits of applying Vaseline to gloves in wet conditions, the practice is counterproductive when it is dry, according to a YouTube video by OP1GK that tested the phenomenon.

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Is it legal to use petroleum jelly?

Onana and the other goalkeepers who apply this practice during official matches are fairly safe as there is no law in IFAB that restricts it.

The same as goalkeepers having notes about opponents on their water bottles just in case the game goes to penalties.

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Sports Brief earlier highlighted some of the best goals from long-range in Premier League history.

This came after Bruno Fernandes’ cheeky effort on Sunday against Liverpool.

The Man United captain intercepted a bad pass from Jarell Quansah and chipped the goalkeeper from more than 35 yards out.