Crystal Palace: Journalist hints to behind-the-scenes Dean Henderson accusation
Despite a huge money move, Dean Henderson may have to settle with second choice in the near future.
Crystal Palace were very active in the summer transfer window, which may have caused problems for manager Roy Hodgson.
In the final few days, the Eagles announced the signing of Dean Henderson from Manchester United for an estimated sum of around £20 million including add-ons.
The 26-year-old goalkeeper spent last season on loan at Premier League newcomers Nottingham Forest, but a thigh injury in January ended his season.
Despite his high price tag, there is no certainty that Henderson will be able to break into the starting lineup at Palace.
Manager Roy Hodgson remarked ahead of the recent match against Wolves that he now had two “top, top-class goalkeepers” in Henderson and fellow Englishman Sam Johnstone.
Hodgson then named Johnstone to the starting eleven for the Wolves game, while Henderson sat on the bench, prompting the issue among many fans about how the new acquisition will be able to win his position ahead of his competitors.
In an interview with GIVEMESPORT, writer Dean Jones provided the latest on Henderson’s position at Crystal Palace.
What information did Dean Jones provide concerning Henderson’s position?
Jones has described Palace’s current goalkeeper issue, citing
He said:
“I don’t think [Henderson] will win the battle soon. I think that from everything I understand at Crystal Palace, he has to properly fight Johnstone for this number one shirt.
“I’m not sure Roy Hodgson particularly likes the idea of having a full-on goalkeeper battle for an entire season.
“He likes to have a tried and tested system, particularly defensively, so that everybody understands their roles and each other.
“I don’t really know how this is going to play out in terms of having two goalkeepers that really want to be playing week in, week out going up against each other.
“But from everything I understand, for the foreseeable future, Johnstone is going to be the guy starting.”
What next for Henderson?
The update may be of a slight concern to Henderson, who could now find himself in a similar position to the one he was in at Old Trafford, having to be a backup to the no.1.
This topic was brought up in his first interview with the club following his arrival and when asked about any prior relationships with the current squad, Henderson responded that he and Johnstone are both “great friends” and will “support each other” regardless of who gets the nod in goal.
While it is of course too early to make conclusions, it would certainly surprise fans should Henderson be used primarily as a backup keeper after joining for a sizable transfer fee, and he can expect to earn the right to play by performing when given the opportunities.
The shot-stopper has also made his intentions clear that he wants to impress England boss Gareth Southgate ahead of next summer’s European Championship tournament, having lost his place in the national team with Jordan Pickford, Aaron Ramsdale and Nick Pope all ahead of him.
