Frustrated Dean Henderson brands Manchester United‘s broken promises as ‘criminal’
- Seb Sternik
- 3 August 2022
On-loan Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Dean Henderson has slammed his parent club Manchester United over 'the toughest 12 months' of his career.
The 25-year-old revealed he was promised by Old Trafford hierarchy to be the first-choice goalkeeper last season.
A bout of long covid delayed his availability for the new season, but once Henderson returned to the fold, he found himself restricted to just three appearances as David De Gea retained his number one status.
"To be honest, it has probably been the toughest 12 months of my career," he told talkSPORT.
"The conversation I had coming out of the Euros squad was 'You're coming back here to be the number one'. I got Covid-19, came back, so I should have still been the number one but then nobody followed through with what they had told me.
"It was frustrating, because I turned down so many good loans last summer for that reason, and they would not let me go. To sit there for 12 months, it is criminal really, at my age, I was fuming.
"I told the hierarchy that I need to be playing football and to let me go, and I was almost gone before the manager (Erik ten Hag) came through the door. I have not spoken to him since.
"I worked hard on and off the pitch to keep improving, day-in-day-out, and now I am looking forward to the season with Nottingham Forest."
Over the summer, Henderson linked up with Nottingham Forest on a season-long loan. The club are preparing for their first top-flight campaign since 1999.
The goalkeeper is looking to put himself in contention for Gareth Southgate's England squad ahead of the World Cup in November.
