Former Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes has urged Dean Henderson to seal a transfer away from Manchester United in order to further his career.
The England international has struggled for playing time at Old Trafford due to the presence of David de Gea in goal, and Gomes thinks he needs to be playing regularly in the Premier League and that it could help him become one of the finest players in the division.
Henderson will surely be aware that he is at the stage of his career where he needs to be playing more, so it will be interesting to see if he takes these comments from Gomes on board.
Gomes, speaking exclusively to Ladbrokes at its launch of the 5-A-Side Bet on Arsenal v Man City, said: “If he wants to be a number one goalkeeper, Dean Henderson has to leave Manchester United.
“When you’re behind a player like David de Gea – who does have his mistakes from time to time – who is so important for the club, you’re always going to struggle for minutes. You’re going up against one of the best goalkeepers in England.
“When Henderson went back to Old Trafford after playing for Sheffield United, he needed to be sure that he was going to play – he needed that guarantee. I don’t think it was a good move for him to permanently return to the club. He was having a good time with Sheffield United, performing well, playing week-in, week-out, he’s a very good goalkeeper.
“But he needs more game-time. When you’re competing against De Gea for a starting place, it’s always going to be hard. If he was playing regularly, I’m sure he’d be at a similar level to De Gea, but he’s just not getting the chance, and there’s currently a question mark next to his name.
“There’s uncertainty around him at United, because he never knows when his time is going to come. That’s not a good position to be in, especially for a young goalkeeper who was close to the England squad – game-time is so important, so I believe he has to move on and show everyone that he’s capable of growing into one of the best goalkeepers in the division.”
This is a tricky situation for United, who will surely want Henderson to stick around as a long-term replacement for De Gea.
Even though the Spaniard still looks the ideal first choice for MUFC, that might not be the case for much longer, and it could then cost the club a fortune to replace him.