Dean Henderson brands Man United ‘criminal’ over false promises

• In a scathing interview, Dean Henderson harshly criticised Manchester United.
• The United goalkeeper is on loan to the newly-promoted Nottingham Forest for the entire season.
• The England player said he was informed he would replace De Gea as the number one.
• Henderson acknowledged that the club’s “criminal” misleading promises left him “fuming.

In a shocking interview, Dean Henderson called Manchester United’s treatment of him “criminal.”

The goalkeeper confessed he was left “fuming” after empty promises from the team when on a one-year loan from Old Trafford to Nottingham Forest.

According to Henderson, Manchester United promised he would unseat David de Gea as the starting goalkeeper but instead reduced him to a substitute and kept him on the bench, which infuriated him.

Henderson is happy to have left Manchester United

‘To be quite honest with you, it’s probably been the toughest 12 months of my career. It’s been tough, it’s been hard, and I’m so happy I’ve come out the other end of it now.

‘It’s also frustrating because I turned so many good loans down last summer for that reason, and they wouldn’t let me go. To sit there and waste 12 months is criminal, really, at my age. I was fuming.’

Last season, veteran goalkeeper De Gea, 31, made 46 games across all competitions, whereas Henderson only received three, one in each of the FA Cup, League Cup, and Champions League.

Dean Henderson. Photo: MARCA

Henderson refused to train under Ten Hag

In an effort to push through a transfer to Nottingham Forest this summer, Henderson acknowledged that he had refused to speak with or train under Erik ten Hag, the new manager of United.

Henderson made 26 appearances across all competitions in the previous season. When the Red Devils finished second in the Premier League with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. In contrast to De Gea’s 36 appearances, the England star ended the year as the first choice.

 But unfortunately, he was forced to leave the England team owing to a hip injury. Shortly before the 2021–22 season began, he tested positive for COVID-19, which caused him to experience extreme exhaustion.

Given that Forest could not secure a buyout clause in his loan agreement, the English man will go back to Manchester United at the end of the current campaign.

Tom Heaton will support David De Gea in this campaign, who was one of United’s top performers last year.

Dean Henderson has also criticised Manchester United for the way they handled Jesse Lingard‘s career during his last year at Old Trafford.

Both Lingard and Henderson now play for Forest

Henderson and Lingard have reconnected at Nottingham Forest. Lingard was dismissed by United at the conclusion of last season after his contract expired.

Jesse was heavily linked to West Ham, but the club was unwilling to pay the amount he requested. The offensive midfielder has signed a one-year deal with the City Ground team.

“Jesse is buzzing as well, just like myself,” Henderson told talkSPORT “I was messaging him every day, pushing it over the line, telling him to come and join me. He was so excited.

Before the beginning of the last campaign, the ex-Man united coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer promised both Henderson and Lingard essential roles in the team, but they never materialised.