The 22-year-old Manchester United goalkeeper has become one of the best in the Championship this season, having signed for Sheffield United last summer on a season-long loan and Henderson will be hoping his performances and potential promotion to the Premier League will catch the eye of United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. 

Image from Shropshire Star

Henderson has kept seven consecutive clean sheets in his last seven outings for the Blades as Chris Wilder’s men target automatic promotion to the Premier League. ‘Deano’ as nicknamed by the Blades fans, signed a new two-year deal at Old Trafford in the summer, with the option of a third. His contract was coming to an end, but his stellar performances which helped his old side Shrewsbury Town make it all the way to the League One play-off final and him personally making League One Team of the Year, saw United reward him for his fine form. Henderson has also had successful loan spells at Stockport County and Grimsby Town since joining United.  

Sheffield United beat off competition from ten other clubs in the summer to the land the signature of the Whitehaven-born goalkeeper’s services and this could be the steal of the summer with Henderson thriving in his first season in the Championship. While his performances aren’t going unnoticed by United and England:

Henderson has made seven appearances for England’s under-21’s after only making his debut in March last year, but he is in line for the no.1 spot for the U21’s European Championship in Italy this summer. England manager Gareth Southgate, last week confirmed that Dean Henderson is in his thinking for the goalkeeping positions in the first team and Southgate has come out and said “Dean Henderson is playing really well at Sheffield United and is also close to our squad. There’s good competition for places.”

While his on-loan manager Chris Wilder has said in recent weeks “Dean has been first-class for us. I’m not surprised he’s been talked about [by Southgate], but there are some unbelievable goalkeepers in front of him that he’s got to get past. But at the moment he is doing all he can. He is playing extremely well and playing a part in what have been consistently good team performances. He’s up there with the best in the division.”

The young Englishman has played in all 37 games in the Championship this season a total 3,330 minutes of football conceding an impressive 34 goals and keeping 16 clean sheets in the process – the joint most in the division. Henderson, who has been at United’s academy since the age of 14, has had two very successful loan spells in two years and this has helped him grow and mature as a footballer.

It is an international break now, where Henderson will be hoping to pick two more caps up for the Under 21’s and impress on-lookers for the England first team, but then his concentration will return to helping Sheffield United return to the big leagues. If the Blades are successful in promotion the players and fans will have a lot of praise for the goalkeeper and you’ll surely hear ‘Deano, Deano, Deano’ being sang from the stands as he is a fan-favourite at Bramall Lane. 

Image from Manchester Evening News

The Red Devils did sign Lee Grant from Stoke last summer due to both Dean Henderson and Joel Pereira going out on loan but have kept a very close eye on him and United scouts know he is a talent to keep hold of. He is yet to make his debut for his dream club United and with the ever-impressive David De Gea in goal for the Red Devils it will be hard, but with Ole in charge and Henderson impressing, it may not be too long before he is given his opportunity in a United shirt.