Dean Henderson has revealed he didn't speak to Erik ten Hag before going out on loan this summer and hasn't talked with him since.
Manchester United goalkeeper Henderson left the club at the beginning of the transfer window to join Premier League newcomers Nottingham Forest on loan for the season. After a year with hardly any playing time, the shot-stopper was keen to get out as soon as possible and didn't even wait to discuss the matter with Ten Hag before leaving for the City Ground.
"No," he told talkSPORT when asked if he talked with the manager about the move. "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.
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"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. And it panned out so I was almost gone before the manager came in the door and I haven't spoken to him since."
It's the academy graduate's fifth stint away from Old Trafford, with his most notable loan move being a successful two-year spell at Sheffield United from 2018-2020. Henderson played a key role in the Blades' triumphant return to the top flight and came back to United poised to challenge David de Gea for his No.1 spot.
Towards the end of the 2020/21 season, he looked to have done just that after starting 10 of the final 12 matches under Ole Gunnar Solskaer. De Gea's disastrous display in the Europa League final defeat to Villarreal then appeared to solidify his spot even further going into the new campaign.
It's understood that Solskjaer did inform the 25-year-old he would be his first choice going into last season but a nasty bout of Covid-19 derailed his pre-season and meant he didn't return to action until the campaign was well underway, at which point De Gea was enjoying a return to form. The Spaniard kept his performance levels high throughout the season which meant Henderson was limited to just three appearances.
It left Henderson feeling angry throughout the season. He added: "I turned so many good loans down last summer for that reason [being promised No.1 spot], and they wouldn't let me go. It was frustrating. To sit there and waste 12 months is criminal really, at my age. I was fuming."
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