Hendo could be close to fulfilling his United dream
OLE Gunnar Solskjaer says it is Dean Henderson’s ‘dream’ to become the United No.1 as pressure mounts on David de Gea.
The Spaniard was accused of ‘bottling it’ by Reds legend Paul Scholes for RB Leipzig striker Justin Kluivert’s eventual winner in the defeat on Tuesday and there is a growing clamour for Henderson to replace him.
M.E.N. Sport revealed the England keeper, 23, spoke with Solskjaer about the need for more playing time amid frustration over his omission for both home wins against West Brom and Istanbul Basaksehir last month.
Academy graduate Henderson reiterated he is desperate to become the first-choice keeper but is only prepared to wait so long as the January transfer window looms.
He has started four times for United this season but there have been widespread calls for Solskjaer to select thim over De Gea in today’s Old Trafford derby.
“Dean has been a United player since he was 14-years-old and many were caught by surprise when we decided not to send him on loan,” Solskjaer told the Scandinavian Supporters’ Club.
“It was always his dream to become United’s keeper and we felt it was the right time for him to return. I think he’s learning a lot about what it takes.
“It’s about competition but it’s not about me pleasing everyone. It’s a common misunderstanding that the coach needs to keep everyone happy.
“It’s the other way around. It’s more important that they keep me happy. I’m serious about this. It’s all about the players.
“You’re not supposed to be happy when you’re not playing but to be a Man United player comes with a price. You need loyalty and to be professional. You need to cope when we’re not doing so well and you need to stay grounded when we succeed.
“You need to be a good team-mate and you need to represent the club as a Man United player.”
In an interview that was conducted before the Champions League defeat to Leipzig, Solskjaer feels he will succeed and United have ‘been going in the right direction’.
“Last season we played three semifinals,” Solskjaer said. “We qualified for the Champions League. We’ve been going in the right direction. There have been some ups and downs but when we’ve fallen one step behind we’ve taken three or four steps forward again.”