Dean Henderson joined Manchester United from Carlisle as a 14-year-old and has progressed rapidly over the last five years. The 21-year-old represented England at youth level and continues to impress for the Under-21s. He has been subject to interest from a plethora of European heavyweights and the Manchester United hierarchy must ensure that he isn’t tempted to leave the club in search of first-team football. With David De Gea unlikely to be usurped anytime soon, Henderson’s prospects remain unclear, however, it’s imperative that the Red Devils do enough to ensure he remains in Manchester for the foreseeable.
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Henderson impressed on loan at Shrewsbury last season, helping guide Salop to the League One play-offs. He quickly became a fan-favourite and admitted it was difficult to leave Shropshire off the back of their Wembley defeat to Rotherham. He saved a penalty in that game and caught the eye throughout the 90 minutes with a string of impressive stops. He also made the end-of-season PFA League One Team of the Year.
He signed a new contract at Old Trafford in June 2018, which will keep him at the club until 2020 and his future in the game looks bright. He was sent on loan to Sheffield United for the duration of the 2018-19 campaign and he’s continued to impress in South Yorkshire. As of February 6th 2019, the Blades possess the third best defence in the second tier and Henderson has played a big part in that success. He’s kept ten clean sheets so far this campaign and could help guide Chris Wilder’s side into the playoffs this season. They have been a model of consistency so far this year and are currently the third favourite in the Championship title odds. With Leeds and Norwich significantly shorter in the betting, Sheffield United are being touted as the value selection in this market with savvy punters suggesting that the probability of promotion outweighs their current odds. Finding this kind of value in the market is a fundamental factor in successful betting.
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Spurs are the latest side to express an interest in the impressive stopper and he could be tempted by a move to another Premier League side if he is promised first-team football. Sergio Romero and Lee Grant are currently ahead of Henderson in the pecking order at Old Trafford but next season is likely to see the 21-year-old take a step closer to first-team action.
The club activated a one-year extension on David de Gea’s contract in November and the Spaniard is likely to remain first-choice next season but Henderson should be given the chance to impress in cup competitions. Manchester United’s recent form under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could see them return to the Europa League next year and that would offer ample opportunities for the Whitehaven-born keeper to get some minutes under his belt.
The club are always looking towards the next generation and Dean Henderson is surely a future Premier League regular. Forcing his way into the side is going to be a tough ask but he undoubtedly has the ability to fill De Gea’s boots. Manchester United must stave off interest from the likes of Bayern Munich, Juventus and Spurs by promising Henderson game-time next year and many fans are already looking forward to seeing the Cumbrian finally break into the starting eleven.
