Why do goalkeepers put Vaseline on their gloves? Reason why Man United’s Andre Onana used petroleum jelly on his mitts

VIEWERS were left confused after Manchester United’s Andre Onana was seen putting Vaseline on his goalkeeping gloves during a match.

But there is an important reason behind this unusual move – Here’s what we know.

Andre Onana covered his gloves in Vaseline

Why did Onana put Vaseline on his gloves?

Andre Onana was a busy man during Manchester United’s Premier League match against Liverpool on April 7, 2024.

Onana encountered 15 shots by half time, but the game ultimately concluded with a 2-2 draw.

However, fans were left puzzled when the goalkeeper was spotted applying Vaseline to his gloves during a break.

As it turns out, the application of petroleum jelly on gloves is an underrated hack for the shot-stoppers as it increases grip.

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

Even ex-Premier League stopper Shay Given has revealed he used the Vaseline trick during his playing days.

Former Celtic player Joe Hart said in an interview in 2022 that he was introduced to the technique by former Leicester star Kasper Schmeichel.

“I had finished with Umbro and I was trialling new gloves in pre-season and this Vaseline rumour was around. I thought it can’t work, it doesn’t make any sense,” he said.

“But Kasper (Schmeichel) said ‘put Vaseline on them’ and I trust him because I’m close to him, so I did it and I’ve never looked back.

“I’ve known lads not to do it out of principle, but as soon as I did it in training, I’d see them go to the ball and start rubbing their hands on the ball to get the Vaseline on their gloves.”

How do you keep goalkeeper gloves sticky?

Most of the time goalkeepers use a spray to help keep them grippy.

Latex tends to work best when the weather is wet/moist, and sprays keep latex moist and sticky.

This is why you will often see goalkeepers on TV squirt substances on their kit as Latex is not designed to be dry.

As a football player, you can never truly predict the weather so it’s always handy to have a spare tube in your bag. 

Football’s lawmakers have no rule against the use of Vaseline or any other petroleum jelly.

What do goalkeepers spray on their gloves?

The spray goalkeepers use on their gloves tend to have foam latex in them.

They use this as it enhances the grip and performance of any goalkeeping glove.