Dean Henderson has never been one to shy away from giving his opinion, nor has he ever been uncertain of his own ability.
Whether it be during his early years while out on loan with the likes of Grimsby and Shrewsbury, or upon his emergence with Sheffield United and his breakthrough to the England squad, he has always had one goal in mind: to become Manchester United’s No.1.
That aim has suffered a major setback over the past year, with Henderson forced to watch on as David de Gea re-established himself in the Reds’ goal. Still, with Erik ten Hag arriving as manager during the summer, there was arguably another opportunity for the 25-year-old to launch a bid to become No.1.
ALSO READ: 'I haven't spoken to him since' - Dean Henderson's Erik ten Hag admission after Man United exit
We already know from his time at Ajax that Ten Hag is a fan of Henderson’s. The new United boss attempted to take the goalkeeper on loan in January, only to be pushed back in his efforts.
Upon his arrival at Carrington, he might have expected to get an opportunity to see what he missed out on up close. Alas, Henderson was already on his way out, heading to Nottingham Forest on loan without so much as a ‘hello’ for his new boss.
You might be forgiven for seeing that as a signal that the England international had given up on his ambitions at Old Trafford. But with the new season just days away, Henderson chimed in with a timely reminder to Ten Hag and United that he hasn’t gone too far.
In his explosive interview with talkSPORT, there were more than a few nods towards Ten Hag as he tore into the club’s handling of his situation last season. "I turned so many good loans down last summer for that reason [being promised the No.1 spot], and they wouldn't let me go," Henderson revealed. "It was frustrating. To sit there and waste 12 months is criminal really, at my age. I was fuming."
And Henderson seems acutely aware of the admiration United’s new boss already had for him. "I didn't really want the manager to come in and be able to see me in training because I knew he'd probably want to keep me,” he added. Whether Henderson still has a future at United, and what effect his outburst will have on his hopes of breaking back into the side upon his return, may be up for debate. But what he certainly has done is turned the heat up on De Gea.
The Spaniard may have been one of a very select few to emerge from last season with any credit, but his performances in the new campaign are set to be put under the microscope. He’s spent the summer with Ten Hag drilling into him the need to improve on his distribution, and we’ll soon see whether that work bears any fruits.
Throughout the 2022/23 campaign, De Gea’s performances are going to be directly compared to Henderson’s. That leaves virtually no room for error for the 31-year-old, especially when Henderson has made it clear he doesn’t want to play second fiddle, having felt wronged by his treatment last season.
The academy graduate has his sights set firmly on overtaking De Gea again, and he knows he already has something of a head start with Ten Hag, who has kept an eye on him for some time. With just a few days until the new season gets underway, the pressure has been shifted onto United’s perennial No.1 to perform once again or risk giving up his place next year.
READ NEXT:
