Henderson: We’ve got to build together now
Dean Henderson says Crystal Palace must use Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup win at Fulham as a springboard towards more positive results in the coming weeks.
The captain – who had been out injured since Palace’s last win at Craven Cottage in the Premier League, on 5th September – returned with a vital clean sheet in a 1-0 win to help his side reach the quarter-finals.
With Palace now set to head to Tottenham Hotspur for a second London derby of the week, Henderson hopes his team can use the win as a platform in North London.
“It's so good,” Henderson said after Wednesday’s win. “Obviously, it's been a difficult period [with injury]. It's something I've had to get over, but I’ve managed to do that. I just want to thank the medical team for helping me and getting me back ASAP because I've been champing at the bit for weeks.
“I'm so happy to be back in front of our supporters. They were fantastic tonight. We've just got to build the positivity around this football club. We've got to build together because the togetherness is growing in the changing room. We've got full trust in what we're getting asked to do.
“We've just got to build that momentum now over the coming weeks. We're obviously going into tough games, and we'll need them to stick by us. If they're like that, everything's possible.”
You win competitions on nights like tonight
Henderson’s reintroducing was one of 10 changes for a much-rotated Palace in West London – yet the positive result demonstrated precisely what the Eagles’ strength in depth can achieve.
The captain noted: “We had 10 changes tonight, and a lot of the lads haven't played a lot of football. I know myself it's so difficult.
“A big shout out to all those boys. They've put in a shift and given the Manager some difficult decisions. That's what we need. We need competition for places.
“I was delighted for all the lads tonight. We fought hard. We stuck in. It was difficult. They had a lot of the ball and there were some tired legs towards the end. The subs came on and made a good impact.
“We're delighted with the performance, delighted to get to the next round. Like we spoke about today, you win competitions on nights like tonight. You stick in, you make 10 changes and you get the win.
“We’re delighted to get into the next round. Hopefully, that can build confidence and momentum going forward.”
The captain also paid tribute to the returning Cheick Doucouré, making his first competitive start in some 662 days at Craven Cottage.
“I don't know how the kid smiles every day,” Henderson said of the midfielder. “He's unbelievable. To be at the height he was at the time [of the injury] as well.
“We're going to get him back there because he's going to be an incredible asset, an incredible player for this club. It's just about building his confidence, building his consistency up. I can't wait to have him back.
“He's tremendous. I'm so proud of him tonight. The way he just played with a smile on his face. I'm delighted for him.”
As for Spurs on Saturday?
“We’ve got tough fixtures coming up, but we've got to be resilient. We know what it takes.
“We've been here many times before. We have tough spells in seasons. We're going to come out the other end of this.
“Let's go there full of confidence and give it our best shot.”