Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson has spoken out on the ‘criminal’ behaviour portrayed by Manchester United chiefs last season after he played second fiddle to David de Gea – despite being promised the Number 1 shirt by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Henderson, 25, had been touted as one of the best young goalkeepers in the country after two stellar seasons on loan at Sheffield United saw him knocking on De Gea’s door as United’s first-choice shot stopper.
After a series of appearances for the Red Devils in the 2020/21 season, many thought the Whitehaven-born star would naturally take over the Spaniard’s shirt the following season in what would be his breakout campaign.
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“I didn’t want the manager to come in and be able to see me in training. I knew he’d probably want to keep me, so I tried to do it all before I left for the season. I told all the hierarchy I need to go and play football, I don’t want to be here playing second fiddle,” Henderson said.
“It was all planned out. I was almost gone before the manager came through the door and I haven’t spoken to him since. To be honest with you, it’s probably been the toughest 12 months of my career. It’s been tough, it’s been hard and I’m so happy I’ve got out the other end of it. I’m so excited to be here and ready to go.
“The conversation I had coming out of that Euros squad was ‘you’re coming back here to be the number one goalkeeper’. I got Covid, came back, I should have still been the number one, but unfortunately no-one followed through with anything they told me.
“It was frustrating because I turned down so many good loans last summer for that reason and they wouldn’t let me go. So, it was frustrating. To sit there and waste 12 months, it’s criminal really at my age.”