Dean Henderson might have to settle with being second choice for the near future, despite big money move
Crystal Palace were busy late in the summer transfer window, but it may have created a problem for manager Roy Hodgson.
The Eagles announced the signing of Dean Henderson from Manchester United in the final few days, for a reported fee of around £20m including add-ons.
The 26-year-old glovesman spent last season on loan at Premier League newcomers Nottingham Forest, although a thigh injury picked up in January cut his season short.
Despite his sizable price tag, the competition at Palace leaves no guarantee that Henderson will walk straight into the starting eleven.
Ahead of the recent fixture with Wolves, manager Hodgson said he now has two “top, top-class goalkeepers” in Henderson and fellow Englishman Sam Johnstone.
Hodgson followed up with this by naming Johnstone in the starting eleven for the Wolves fixture, while Henderson watched on from the sidelines, raising the question among many fans on how the new signing will be able to earn his place ahead of his competition.
Now, journalist Dean Jones has revealed the latest on Henderson’s position at Crystal Palace speaking to GIVEMESPORT.
Jones has explained the current goalkeeper situation at Palace, claiming Henderson will have to “properly fight” if he wants to take the spot from Johnstone
“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.”
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.