Dean Henderson has revealed that he went above Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag's head to secure a loan move to Nottingham Forest in 2022, admitting he deliberately avoided speaking to the new boss. The goalkeeper, now at Crystal Palace, claimed he had been promised the No.1 role at United but felt let down after contracting COVID-19.
Henderson told talkSPORT that the 2021/22 season was the toughest of his career, as he made only three appearances while serving as David de Gea's understudy. He said: 'It has been the toughest 12 months of my career. It has been tough, hard, and I am so happy I have gone out the other end of it.'
The England international stated that United assured him he would be first-choice after the Euros, but after catching COVID and developing long COVID, he felt the club reneged on their promise. 'I turned down so many good loans last summer for that reason, and they would not let me go. To sit there and waste 12 months, it is criminal, really, at my age,' he added.
Henderson explained that he planned his exit before Ten Hag's arrival, contacting the hierarchy directly. 'I didn't really want the manager to come in and see me in training because I knew that he'd probably want to keep me. I was almost gone before the manager came through the door. I have not spoken to him since,' he said.
After his loan at Forest, Henderson joined Crystal Palace permanently for £15m plus add-ons. He has since made over 100 appearances for the south London club, winning the FA Cup and Community Shield.
