Most youngsters will develop by going out on loan and then getting chances from the bench at their parent club, but that’s just not an option for a goalkeeper.
You want your defensive unit to be as solid as possible, and that means letting them play together with minimal disruptions.
As a result, a young keeper will only get a chance when something terrible happens to the number 1 – either a total loss of form, suspension or injuries, and it’s not something you can naturally root for.
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The situation at Man United for Dean Henderson looks set to be a fascinating one, as he’s shown enough to prove he can play at the elite level, but David de Gea is probably seen as undropable.
The Mirror reported on some comments that Solskjaer made about Henderson, and it sounds like he doesn’t know what to do:
“Dean has made some great choices over the years and has developed fantastically. We’re looking at that in terms of where he’s going to be next season, but as yet that has not been decided.”
“This season has proved a great experience for him, he’s done himself some favours with his performances and proved he will be England’s No.1 and Man United’s No.1 at some point.”
To suggest that a youngster is good enough to become the number one for Man United and England is a tremendous show of faith, but it also indicates that he can’t sit on the United bench next season either.
It sounds like either David de Gea will need to be sold or Henderson will need to go out on loan again, but that can’t continue forever.
Eventually he will need to be given a chance or he will push for a permanent exit, so this could be a tricky one for United to get right.