Dean Henderson - Goalkeeper | First-Team

Southbound

Widely regarded as one of his country's finest goalkeepers, Dean Henderson signed for Crystal Palace in August 2023 after 12 years at boyhood club Manchester United.

The 26-year-old England international signed a five-year contract with the club, becoming Palace’s third senior arrival of the 2023 summer transfer window alongside Jefferson Lerma and Matheus França.

Like many goalkeepers before him, Henderson started as an outfield player, on the books of Carlisle United as a schoolboy.

He wasn’t just a footballer, however, and was an accomplished enough cricketer to be noticed at county level as a wicket keeper.

Joining Manchester United as a 14-year-old, Henderson quickly rose through the ranks and was soon the Under-18s regular goalkeeper, earning a nomination for the club’s prestigious Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award.

He began to gain experience out on loan, joining first Stockport County in non-league and then Grimsby Town in League Two, before being recalled to provide cover for Manchester United’s injury crisis.

A full season with Shrewsbury Town saw his reputation sky-rocket, and he began to feature for England’s Under-21s side while earning a place in the PFA League One Team of the Year.

Henderson’s move to Sheffield United on loan in 2018/19 saw the Blades secure a first promotion to the Premier League since 2007, and the ‘keeper shone.

He scooped the Championship Golden Glove award (keeping 20 clean sheets), the Blades' Young Player of the Year award and the Community Player of the Year award, for his work in the local area.

It was during this season that Henderson was also called up to the senior England squad for the first time in October 2019.

Returning to Sheffield United a year later, he won the Young Player of the Year award once again, keeping 11 clean sheets as the Yorkshire side earned a historic top-half Premier League finish.

And he also made the next step up internationally, coming on at half-time for his senior Three Lions debut when he replaced Nick Pope in a 3-0 win over the Republic of Ireland in a November 2020 friendly.

After his stellar performances on loan, Henderson returned to his parent club and began to compete with David De Gea for the No. 1 spot.

He made his senior debut in the League Cup in September 2020 before making his Champions League debut just over a month later. His Premier League bow for the Red Devils came against Southampton in November as a replacement for the injured Spaniard.

Henderson made the No. 1 spot his own in De Gea’s absence, playing 13 Premier League games and making 26 appearances overall during the 2020/21 campaign.

However, De Gea’s return saw his first-team opportunities limited, and so another loan beckoned – this time to Nottingham Forest, where Henderson impressed once again before injury curtailed his 2022/23 season.

Now, he’s ready to continue his career in south London…